News that this would be Jurgen Klopp’s last year in charge at Liverpool came as a huge shock with speculation about his health coming out as a possible reason.
Klopp came out to explain his reasons and the main motivational factor in his decision to leave his post is that he is tired. The day-to-day running of a huge club like Liverpool, and the pressure of competing in the English Premier League and Champions League appear to have taken their toll.
His announcement in January also sparked speculation about who would take over with names like Gerrard and Xabi Alonso being mentioned.
Betting expert Ian Bruce regularly compares the UK’s top bookmakers to find the best odds on different markets. These bookies have whittled down the shortlist for the next Liverpool manager, but news that Feyenoord manager Arne Slot has had talks saw his odds cut significantly.
Klopp’s Liverpool
Jurgen Klopp arrived at Liverpool after leading Borussia Dortmund to two Bundesliga titles and a Champions League runners-up place. He transformed a Liverpool side that had not won the English top flight since the 1989/90 season and delivered their first-ever Premier League Title in the 2019/20 season. In his 9 years at Liverpool, he has also delivered an FA Cup, 2 League Cups, and a Champions League in 2019. His side then went on to lift the UEFA Super Cup and Fifa Club World Cup in the same year.
In his last seven seasons with Liverpool, the club has finished in the top five and this season sees them battling for the title alongside Arsenal and Manchester City.
His decision to leave the club left fans devastated, but not many Premier League managers have the opportunity to leave a club on their terms with their reputation intact.
The Front Runners for the Liverpool Job
As with any major appointment, bookmakers will offer odds and it is usually a good indicator of who is in serious contention for the position.
Arne Slot
Arne Slot is A Dutch manager who played in the Netherlands for his entire career. The goal-scoring midfielder started his career at FC Zwolle before moving to NAC Breda.
Slot’s coaching career began at Cambuur in 2013 working with the youth teams before becoming Henk de Jong’s assistant. He went on to become the interim boss before being given the full-time role along with Sipke Hulshoff.
Slot joined AZ Alkmaar in 2017 as John van den Brom’s assistant before taking over in 2019. During his time at AZ, he secured the record for the highest point-per-game average for any manager in the club’s history, 2.11.
He was eventually fired from his position after agreeing terms to move to Feyenoord in 2020 with AZ officials concerned his full attention was not with his present club.
Slot’s attacking style of play has earned him a lot of plaudits, and Klopp has also come out in support of the manager’s style.
His time at Feyenoord has seen him lead his team to the Eredivisie title and KNVB Cup which will please Liverpool fans.
Ruben Amorim
Having had talks with the club and publicly stating that he wants the job, it looks likely that Slot will be the next manager. However, those scouring the top sports books and casinos not on Gamstop Ltd will see a few other names are still around the 10/1 mark, and this includes Ruben Amorim.
At just 29, Amorim is one of the younger coaches being linked with the Anfield job. The former midfielder plied his trade in his native Portugal and his managerial career followed suit.
Starting with Casa Pia in 2018, he moved on to Braga B, Braga, and currently finds himself in the manager seat with Sporting CP. His biggest achievements to date have been leading Braga to the Portuguese League Cup (Taça da Liga) in the 2019/20 season. After moving to Sporting, he continued his great cup form by winning a further two consecutive League Cups and lifted the Primeira Liga during the 2020/21 season.
He is known for being a great communicator with an in-depth and flexible knowledge of the game. His positivity and laid-back demeanour make him a popular character among players.
Roberto De Zerbi
Roberto De Zerbi is another former midfielder who moved into management. The Italian’s managerial career began in 2013 and he moved through the ranks of Italian club sides before moving to Shakhtar Donetsk in the Ukraine in 2021.
Sadly, due to the Russian invasion, De Zerbi departed the club before succeeding Graham Potter as Brighton and Hove Albion’s head coach. This Premier League experience put him in a good position for the Liverpool job. His attacking style of play that relies on building play from the back and his aggressive high press have been successful in maintaining Brighton’s impressive Premier League form.
