The candidates to succeed Klopp at Liverpool are already known: Who are they?

A week has passed since the unexpected news at Anfield: Jurgen Klopp, the Reds' coach for the last nine years, will leave the club in the summer. Liverpool are now looking to fill one of the most important vacant positions after July, and three names are on the club's agenda.

According to the Daily Mail, Xabi Alonso (Bayer Leverkusen), Ruben Amorim (Sporting Club) and Roberto De Zerbi (Brighton & Hove Albion) are in the running as Liverpool's main candidates. The fans' favourite to take the bench is Xabi Alonso, although the German's announcement has yet to sink in.

One is fading, others would arrive with energy

Klopp has been coaching for more than 20 years in a row. He began his coaching career in 2001 at Mainz (where he retired as a player). In 2008, he was approached by Bayern Munich but decided to move to Borussia Dortmund, and when he left German football and decided to take a sabbatical year, in October 2015 he was called by Liverpool.

The wear and tear is evident, which is why he has now decided to go away for a rest despite leading the Premier League table. The title race is looking like it will be tight until the end, with the current champions, Pep Guardiola's Man City, and a team that is dreaming big, Mikel Arteta's Arsenal.

So, the club's top brass have already lined up a few names, with the three mentioned at the top of the list. There is just one complication: All three are under contract with their teams until 2026.

Why Alonso, Amorim and De Zerbi?

The three trendy young coaches in Europe (one in the Bundesliga, one in Portugal and the last one in the Premier League) are under contract with their teams, who are really satisfied with their work. But it's nothing that can't be solved. Xabi Alonso could emulate what Klopp achieved at Dortmund: winning the league title against the all-powerful Bayern. The Basque coach renewed his contract with Leverkusen in the summer of 2023, thanks to a good first year at the club. This season, his team is undefeated at the top of the Bundesliga.

Amorim is a coach who has also been mentioned as a potential coach for several European clubs. Many are already comparing him to Jose Mourinho because of his attacking style of play, which is why he would be a good fit in the Premier League. Sporting Portugal lead the table with 53 goals scored, making them the most attacking side in the table.

Brighton have been trying for weeks to persuade De Zerbi, who has also been linked with a move to Barcelona, to accept a renewal offer until 2027. The Italian coach's current contract with Brighton also expires in the summer of 2026, but he has a 10m clause which could see him leave if a club decides to pay it.