The latest next Liverpool manager news includes a surprise candidate in Niko Kovac, along with further claims of talks with Sporting CP coach Ruben Amorim.
As it stands, Liverpool are yet to announce their choice to replace Jurgen Klopp as manager at the end of the season.
The weekend saw Xabi Alonso lead Bayer Leverkusen to their first-ever Bundesliga title with five games to spare and still unbeaten, but the Spaniard has already ruled out a move to Anfield.
That has left the rumours to continue, with Niko Kovac and Ruben Amorim in the news.
Niko Kovac in Liverpool manager frame?
A surprise name to emerge in the new Liverpool manager picture is former Bayern Munich, Monaco and Wolfsburg coach Kovac.
These reports are via the Mail, whose David Kent claims that the 52-year-old is “under consideration” for the job amid a “robust research process.”
Kovac has been out of work since March when he was sacked by Bundesliga side Wolfsburg – following a 3-1 defeat to Augsburg which extended a run of 11 games without a win as his side sat 14th.
That makes suggestions he could take over from Klopp doubtful, with a telling line in Kent’s report being that Kovac’s representatives have “sounded out Premier League clubs.”
In other words, he’s looking for a job!
Ruben Amorim the ‘only name’ considered?
A since-deleted tweet from Portuguese journalist Pedro Sepulveda on Monday insisted that Sporting CP manager Amorim was the “only name on Liverpool’s table” at this stage.
It was reiterated that talks had taken place with Amorim’s agent, rather than the coach himself, while there has been no approach to Sporting yet.
That Sepulveda has removed those claims from social media does cast a cloud over the situation, with The Athletic’s David Ornstein adding a wrinkle in conversation with NBC Sports on Monday.
“It’s my understanding that despite being a candidate, he’s not a shoo-in for this job,” Ornstein explained. “He’s not necessarily the top option.”
Latest next Liverpool manager odds
While there is no clarity among English journalists over whether Amorim is the leading candidate, the 39-year-old certainly remains the favourite among bookmakers.
The latest odds for the new Liverpool manager have Amorim as a convincing front-runner, with odds as low as 1/3.
Roberto De Zerbi (11/1) remains the second-favourite despite reports that he has been ruled out, with Julian Nagelsmann (15/1) also in the frame amid claims he is close to rejoining Bayern.
Thiago Motta (15/1), Thomas Tuchel (21/1) and Gary O’Neil (24/1) are also touted though all seem unlikely.
Perhaps tellingly, there are no odds currently listed for Kovac to succeed Klopp.
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