From Xabi Alonso to Jose Mourinho and Ange Postecoglou: Liverpool legends and Premier League rivals among six managers who could replace Jurgen Klopp

Liverpool’s search for a new manager is under way following the shock news that Jurgen Klopp will leave the club at the end of the season.

The German coach will bid farewell to Anfield in May after nine years at the helm in an announcement that has rocked the Premier League to its foundations.

In a video released by the club on Friday, Klopp told fans he is ‘running out of energy’ and that he ‘cannot do the job again and again’.

His legacy will undoubtedly live on at Anfield and he will go down in history as the man that ended the Reds’ 30-year title drought, while leading the club to three Champions League finals in five years – winning one.

But attention must turn towards planning for next season without the 56-year-old in the hotseat and the Reds will not be short on potential suitors.

Klopp's carefully-selected successor will be expected to carry on the German’s success with an expensively-assembled squad of stars.

We look at some of the early candidates to take the reins at Anfield next season.

Xabi Alonso

The former Liverpool midfielder is the bookies early favourite to take over from Klopp after his heroics in guiding Bayer Leverkusen to the top of the Bundesliga.

talkSPORT understands Leverkusen would not stand in his way if Liverpool came knocking, although there is not thought to be a release clause in his contract.

The 40-year-old Spaniard adopts a tried and tested 3-4-3 formation centred on counter-attacking while remaining well-drilled and compact in defence.

Alonso was part of the Reds’ 2005 Champions League winning team and an emotional return to Merseyside could be the most favourable option for club chiefs.

Jose Mourinho

The ‘Special One’ is no stranger to the rigours and expectation of managing a high-profile Premier League club following stints at Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham.

The 61-year-old is available following his recent exit from Roma after leading the Serie A club to back to back European finals.

Mourinho has had his conflicts with Liverpool fans in the past but his experience and know-how at the top level could be a deciding factor.

Mourinho might not be the first choice for Liverpool fans but a manager of his stature cannot be easily overlooked.

With two Champions League successes, League title wins in four different countries and a track record of working with star names, Liverpool could present Mourinho with his final big club role.

Ange Postecoglou

Tottenham will be reluctant to see the Australian leave the club for a direct rival after making a huge impact since arriving from Celtic last summer.

Postecoglou has instilled stability at a club that appeared to be in disarray following their failure to qualify for Europe and the departure of talismanic striker Harry Kane.

The 58-year-old steered Tottenham to their best start in the Premier League era while accruing the most points by a manager in their first ten games in the competition's history.

Whilst he is yet to get his feet under the table in north London, a switch to Liverpool and likely qualification for next season's Champions League, could be a tempting option for the Australian.

Roberto De Zerbi

The Italian has impressed during his tenure at Brighton, leading the Seagulls to their first-ever European campaign.

The 44-year-old is yet to take charge of a big-named European club and would find it difficult to turn down Liverpool’s advancements should they come calling.

De Zerbi’s reliance on utilising a counter attacking approach while utilising wingers could be a good fit for the Reds with Luis Diaz and Mohamed Salah at their disposal.

Julian Nagelsmann

The former Bayern Munich head coach has flirted with the idea of managing in the Premier League on numerous occasions.

Nagelsmann held talks with both Chelsea and Tottenham last summer but neither option came to fruition.

Known for his tactical versatility, Nagelsmann is a coach focused on high-pressing and possession-based football and is highly regarded as one of European football's brightest managerial talents.

The 36-year-old is the current head coach of the German national team but will leave the position after Euro 2024 this summer, leaving him open to taking over at Anfield.

Steven Gerrard

Gerrard looked a potential Liverpool manager in waiting after starting his coaching career with the youth teams at Anfield and then enjoying success at Rangers, leading the Scottish giants to their first league title for 10 years.

However, he failed to repeat such success at Aston Villa and was sacked after just two wins in the first 12 league games of the 2022/23 season and subsequently made a controversial move to Al-Ettifaq in Saudi Arabia.

The Reds legend recently signed a new deal to keep him in the Middle East until 2027 - which makes a return to Liverpool less likely.