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| Jurgen Klopp Manager of Liverpool looks frustrated & annoyed during the UEFA Europa League 2023/24 Quarter-Final first leg match between Liverpool FC and Atalanta at Anfield on April 11, 2024 in Liverpool, England. |
Jurgen Klopp warned his Liverpool players that there'd be "a lot of noise" regarding his replacement when he first told the Reds squad about his departure.
Klopp, 56, will leave Liverpool at the end of this season, bringing to an end his nine-year reign as manager. The German informed the Anfield top brass of his decision in November and it was made public in January, sparking speculation over who'd succeed him in the dugout.
Former Reds midfielder Xabi Alonso was initially the favourite, but the Bayer Leverkusen boss ultimately decided to stay in Germany, as he's expected to win the Bundesliga title this season. Then Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi appeared to be the frontrunner, but that was only for a brief period before it emerged that Liverpool had decided to look elsewhere.
Next up was Ruben Amorim, the Sporting Lisbon head coach who's reportedly reached a verbal agreement with the Reds - only affirming Klopp's point. Speaking to Sky Sports last month, Trent Alexander-Arnold revealed exactly what Klopp said to his players when he first broke the news.
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"He told us, 'Look we're professionals, don't let it get to us'," Alexander-Arnold recalled. "There will be a lot of noise around, of course, but we have got to go and do our job, try and win games and give him the best possible finish."
While Liverpool are still battling to win their domestic league title to get the best possible finish, Amorim's side are too. Sporting are in pole position to win the Liga Portugal this season and that's the focus of his attention amid links of a move to Anfield.
"This is the last time I'm going to talk about my future," an unhappy Amorim told a press conference on Thursday. "There was no interview, much less an agreement, the only thing we all want here is to be champions for Sporting, nothing will change.
"I'm a Sporting coach, there was no interview or agreement with any club, I'm just focused as always on defending my club. As I no longer have anything else to say, there will be no interviews or agreements with the Sporting coach. The matter is completely resolved, whether for this or another club."
Other candidates who've been mentioned in relation to the Liverpool job are Inter Milan manager Simone Inzaghi and Germany's Julian Nagelsmann. Inzaghi is out of contract with Inter in 2025, with Nagelsmann's deal only runs until the end of this summer's European Championship.