Next Liverpool manager: Five left-field options to replace Klopp including divisive former Man Utd boss

Liverpool manager targets Niko Kovac, Thiago Motta and Marco Rose

Liverpool are on the hunt for a new manager and finding an adequate replacement for Jurgen Klopp was never going to be an easy task.

The German coach has guided the Merseyside giants to eight major trophies since joining the club in 2015 and they could still lift another Premier League title this season.

Liverpool initially made Bayer Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso their top target to replace Klopp. They offered the Spaniard a contract but were unable to lure him away from the Bundesliga club, who have just lifted the first-ever league title.

Sources have confirmed to TEAMtalk that the Reds have now offered a three-year deal to their second-choice option Ruben Amorim, who has enjoyed great success with Sporting CP.

The 39-year-old has claimed that this is not the case, however, prompting fears that Liverpool could miss out on him.

Liverpool’s sporting director Richard Hughes and CEO of football Michael Edwards still have their eye on several alternatives and in this feature, we list five left-field managerial candidates he could turn to.

Niko Kovac 

David Ornstein claimed on Tuesday that while Amorim has been heavily linked with a switch to Anfield, he is “not necessarily Liverpool’s first-choice option.”

In the wake of that report, a new name has emerged in the Red’s manager hunt – Niko Kovac.

An agent representing Kovac has allegedly been in England this week to make it clear that he would be open to joining a top Premier League side.

As things stand, the only club that definitely has an upcoming vacancy is Liverpool. Edwards is reportedly a fan of the coach anyway and he has now been ‘identified as a leading candidate to replace Klopp.’

Kovac has managed Croatia, Eintracht Frankfurt, Bayern Munich, Monaco and Wolfsburg and has had mixed success.

He won the DFB Pokal with Eintracht Frankfurt in 2018 – the club’s first trophy since 1988 at the time – which earned him the Bayern job. There, he led the German giants to a league and cup double in 2018-19 but was ultimately unable to build on that success.

Kovac struggled with Monaco and Wolfsburg but he remains a well-respected manager by clubs across Europe and is characterised by a high pressing style – not dissimilar to Klopp at Liverpool.

Thiago Motta

Thiago Motta’s Bologna side have been fantastic this season and are on the verge of qualifying for the Champions League for the first time since 1964, when it was still the European Cup.

His success has not gone unnoticed and according to reports, both Liverpool and Manchester United have him on their radars.

Similar to Kovac, Motta puts a big focus on his players being aggressive without the ball and usually wants his team to go man-to-man and press high up the pitch.

Bologna have the third-best defensive record in Serie A this season which is the main reason behind their success but certainly haven’t been boring in attack, their striker Joshua Zirkzee scoring 10 goals so far – prompting interest from Arsenal and top Italian clubs.

Motta looks destined to manage a top club one day and it’ll be interesting to see whether Liverpool take a punt on him this summer.

Gary O’Neil

Wolves boss Gary O’Neil is arguably in with a shout of winning the Premier League Manager of the Season Award for the job he’s done since taking over at Wolves.

The English coach was very unlucky to be sacked as Bournemouth manager at the end of last term after guiding them away from the relegation zone.

His Wolves side sit in an impressive 11th place in the Premier League table and are already seven points better off than they had at this point last season.

They even have an outside chance of qualifying for Europe but it seems unlikely after Chelsea’s return upturn in form.

O’Neil’s success with Wolves has reportedly caught Liverpool’s eye and he is on Edwards’ shortlist to replace Klopp. Man Utd could also make a move for him should Sir Jim Ratcliffe sack Erik ten Hag.

Marco Rose

Borussia Dortmund boss Marco Rose has been named as ‘one to watch’ in Liverpool’s manager search by multiple outlets.

The German club reigned victorious over Atletico Madrid on Tuesday to book their spot in the Champions League semi-finals.

Their win could also mean that a fifth-place finish in the Bundesliga will see them qualify for the UCL next season – which is where they currently stand in the table – so it was a huge victory for two reasons.

Rose has to take a lot of credit for Dortmund’s European success this season and he has been on Liverpool’s radar for some time.

The 47-year-old was first linked with a move to Anfield back in 2021 and some members of the Red’s hierarchy still admire him, per reports.

Rose could be an option Liverpool turn to should they miss out on Amorim. He is under contract with Dortmund until 2025, though, so luring him away from the Bundesliga giants will not be easy.

Jose Mourinho

Jose Mourinho has managed some of the world’s biggest clubs and is currently on the hunt for his next job after being sacked as Roma boss in January.

The former Chelsea, Man Utd, Tottenham and Real Madrid manager has been heavily linked with a move to Saudi Arabia and didn’t rule out that possibility in a recent interview.

Liverpool could certainly do with bringing in a proven winner like Mourinho, however, and given he’s available it’s no surprise to see him listed as an option for them by multiple outlets.

The ‘Special One’ may have spent two years with the Reds’ bitter rivals but it would be interesting to see whether he’d take up the opportunity to manage Liverpool should the opportunity present itself.

Newcastle have also been linked with a move for the experienced coach as the club’s owners consider parting ways with Eddie Howe at the end of the season.

Mourinho would certainly be the most controversial appointment on this list but it would be worth it just to see the Man Utd fans’ fume.

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