The end of Jurgen Klopp’s time as Liverpool manager is rapidly approaching, and it seems that he won’t be short of offers once he moves on from Anfield.
According to German football insider Christian Falk, the 56-year-old is regarded as ‘Plan B’ to take charge of his country’s national team if they’re unable to persuade Julian Nagelsmann to extend his contract, which is currently due to expire upon the conclusion of Euro 2024.
Should the Germany boss step aside, he’s believed to be the hot favourite to replace Thomas Tuchel at Bayern Munich after Xabi Alonso – with whom the Reds were also heavily linked, of course – reaffirmed his commitment to Bayer Leverkusen.
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Writing in his latest Fact Files column for Fabrizio Romano’s Daily Briefing, Falk outlined: “FC Bayern is still a bit in shock after Alonso’s cancellation. That changes everything in the search for a successor to Thomas Tuchel.
“Suddenly Julian Nagelsmann, who was the coach in Munich until 2023, is the top favorite. Nagelsmann can decide: either he extends his contract as Germany’s national coach or he goes back to FC Bayern.
“The national team already has a plan B: If Nagelsmann cancels, the association wants to try to get Jürgen Klopp in 2025. Then he would have enough time for his sabbatical year and another year of preparation for the 2026 World Cup.
“Sandro Wagner, currently Nagelsmann’s assistant, could take over as boss for a year. However: Wagner would also have the option of going to Munich with Nagelsmann.”
Klopp reiterated this week that he has no plans to immediately jump back into management once his time at Liverpool concludes next month, having attributed his decision to leave Anfield to ‘running out of energy’.
A few months out of football could see him rediscover a thirst to take to the dugout once more, and the Germany national team is a viable route, especially if Nagelsmann steps down after Euro 2024.
The Reds boss has been a club manager almost non-stop for 23 years, so he might appreciate the less exhausting nature of the international game, where fixtures are far more sporadic and he won’t have to deal with issues such as player contracts and the transfer market.
It seems certain that Klopp will remain true to his intentions to step away from management for a while at the end of this season, but his exceptional feats at Liverpool should see him become a prize candidate for future roles once he’s ready to get back into the sport.