Klopp agent reacts as Liverpool icon tipped to manage £106m Man Utd, Arsenal targets

The agent of Liverpool legend Jurgen Klopp, Marc Kosicke, has responded after his client was linked with a huge return to Germany – but not with Bayern Munich or Borussia Dortmund.

Klopp is currently enjoying a well-earned break after nine fantastic years at Anfield in which he helped Liverpool win the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup, League Cup, UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup. The 56-year-old has been replaced by Dutch head coach Arne Slot on Merseyside.

Klopp shocked fans when he announced in January that he would be leaving Liverpool at the end of the 2023-24 season. But the club icon needed some time away from the game, not only to rest but also to spend some time with his children and grandchildren.

While Klopp is laying low and enjoying time in the sun, there is often speculation about where he might go next when he is ready to return to management.

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The German national team is his most obvious next move, although the country’s football federation, the DFB, have given Julian Nagelsmann a contract which runs until July 2026.

Instead, Klopp has been backed to return to his home country of Germany with RB Leipzig.

Such a move would see the former right-back work with top Leipzig stars Benjamin Sesko and Xavi Simons. £55million-rated Sesko is a prime striker target for Arsenal, though he has decided to remain at Leipzig by penning a new contract, while Man Utd are tracking the progress of £51m-rated attacking midfielder Simons.

During an interview with German reporters, Kosicke was asked about Klopp managing Red Bull’s biggest team. He replied: “[It’s] total nonsense. There’s nothing to it.”

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Leipzig would love to bring Klopp in, as he had huge success during his previous spell at Dortmund and managed to disrupt Bayern’s dominance.

But Klopp’s love for Dortmund means it is extremely unlikely he would ever manage another German club, much like his views about joining one of Liverpool’s English rivals.

Last month, Gary Lineker tipped Klopp to re-join Dortmund, but not as their first-team manager.

“I will be interested to see what Jurgen Klopp does next,” he said. “I think he will definitely take some time out because I think he’s genuine when he says he has run out of energy.

“You can see why that job is so demanding. There will be a battle for him in a year’s time. Or they’ll be lining up for a year or so’s time. I heard a little rumour that he might end up being president of Borussia Dortmund, which would be amazing.”

Klopp’s former assistant at Liverpool, Pep Lijnders, thinks the serial winner might not manage again due to the huge stress the job entails.

“In the life we lead as coaches, and I’ve lived it now for 22 years, nothing else counts apart from the next game,” Lijnders said earlier this week. “You might have one hour of joy before you start thinking about the next game.

“Doing that for so many years at the level Jurgen has managed, you come to an age where you really want to wake up in the morning and just think, ‘What time shall I go to the bakery? Shall I take my bike or the car? What time shall I book that padel court for?’ Simple things!”

While Klopp may not return to football as a manager, he does think his close friend will continue to make a difference in whatever comes next.

“I don’t know if he will manage again but he will do a lot of good things for the world. There will be a lot of interest in him, and I know I’ll be getting sent a lot of pictures from his holidays.”

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