Jurgen Klopp could return to Liverpool on a temporary basis should Arne Slot face the axe. The Dutchman has suffered a significant slump this season, as Liverpool languish at 12th in the Premier League standings having lost nine of their last 12 games across all competitions.
It’s the club’s worst run of form in over 70 years, and Slot may be feeling the heat as a result. As a result, Klopp has emerged as a potential successor to the man who only took over the club from him last June. As per The Sun, the Reds could ask the Global Head of Soccer for Red Bull to fill in until the end of the season, given they have PSG manager Luis Enrique in their sights as a long-term target.
The report also suggests that conversations have taken place among Liverpool chiefs with regards to Slot’s future at Anfield, with worries that the manager is losing the backing of his players. Speaking after his side’s 4-1 thrashing at the hands of PSV Eindhoven, Slot said: “It would be nice to turn it around and get a victory.
“But if you are working as a coach and not doing well then it is normal that questions are asked. If you lose so many times, people start talking about that.
“I have got a lot of support from above. I am OK with my position. They don’t call every single minute of the day to say they trust me, but in the normal conversations we have, I feel the trust.”
It is suggested that the board are prepared to wait until the turn of the year to see if their current head coach can turn the tide at the Kop, but a loss to a struggling West Ham United on Sunday could see Fenway Sports Group (FSG) consider their options.
It comes as club captain, Virgil van Dijk, has called for unity among supporters despite Liverpool’s poor run of form. Taking to Instagram on Thursday evening, he wrote: “We’re facing one of the toughest moments of our journey, but we refuse to let this define us.
“We will rise from this. I believe in this team with everything I have. Nothing has ever been handed to us – we’ve fought for everything, and this moment is no different. We won’t give in.
“Won’t give up. Every challenge is an opportunity. We must grow together, lift each other up, and show the strength that lies within us. To the fans, keep supporting us. We all need each other more than ever!”
Klopp will go down in the annals of history as one of Liverpool’s greatest-ever managers, guiding the Reds to their first-ever Premier League title since the English top flight’s reformation in 1992, as well as four domestic cups and a coveted Champions League during his nine-year tenure between 2015 and 2024.
And while Slot was able to guide the club to yet another top flight title in his first season at the reins, he now finds himself at the pinnacle of the club’s most challenging periods in recent history. Only time will tell if he can turn it around, or if the club’s fortunes will continue to dimish across December, with clashes against Sunderland, Leeds United, Inter Milan, Brighton, Tottenham and Wolves.