Jurgen Klopp was the most in-demand manager in world football after his shock Liverpool exit in 2024, with some huge clubs chasing his signature.
The German was expected to stay until 2026, which was the end of his contract. However, a bombshell announcement in January 2024 saw the German confirm he’d be leaving in the summer.
Klopp left with his head held high and his stocks even higher. He’d converted Liverpool supporters from doubters to believers with a Premier League title and Champions League triumph over a nine-year spell.
Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool statistics (2015-2024):
| Category | All Competitions | Premier League Only |
| Matches | 491 | 334 |
| Wins | 299 | 209 |
| Draws | 109 | 78 |
| Losses | 83 | 47 |
| Goals For | 1,035 | 714 |
| Goals Against | 503 | 331 |
| Win Percentage | 60.9% | 62.6% |
Klopp was immediately contacted by multiple clubs and international teams to enquire about his availability. He was undoubtedly one of the best managers in the world at the time.
Jurgen Klopp ‘could have coached’ England or another national team
Klopp could’ve had either the England or the United States of America jobs, according to his agent Marc Kosicke. Both nations opted to hire foreign coaches in the hopes of a successful 2026 World Cup.
The now 58-year-old was the best available manager at the time that both of those countries were looking for new managers.
Asked whether Klopp would return to management despite being Red Bull’s Head of Global Soccer, Kosicke responded in a Transfermarkt interview: “At the moment, I don’t see that happening, because he’s very happy with his new role and in this environment.
“Maybe at some point, he’ll say he needs to smell the locker room again. But at the moment, he’s very, very happy in his role. Before joining Red Bull, Jurgen could have coached the USA or England national teams.”
Klopp turned down Premier League giants
It wasn’t only national sides showing interest. Chelsea and Manchester United were among the teams to enquire about Klopp’s availability when he was on the market.
“Even Chelsea and Manchester United inquired, although Jurgen had clearly stated that he would not coach any other club in England,” Kosicke claims.
The ex-Borussia Dortmund manager’s agent added that teams have continued to register interest in the semi-retired boss.
He added: “These inquiries haven’t stopped. Jurgen has undergone a metamorphosis, moving away from being a coach with a broad perspective towards more management responsibilities.”
Klopp already revealed that he’d rejected the chance to replace Sir Alex Ferguson at Man Utd in 2013. He told Steven Bartlett on The Diary of a CEO podcast in 2025: “It was not my project, it didn’t feel like my project, it was the wrong time but on top of that, it was not my project.”
He kept his promise by rejecting English clubs
It’s almost impossible to imagine Klopp in the dugout of any other Premier League club. That’s because the man himself promised he would ‘never, ever’ take charge of an English club, other than Liverpool.
When he announced his departure in 2024, the revolutionary boss said: “What I know definitely – I will never, ever manage a different club in England than Liverpool, 100 percent.
“That’s not possible. My love for this club, my respect for the people is too big. I couldn’t. I couldn’t for a second think about it. There’s no chance.”
As recently as last month, Klopp publicly stated that he didn’t have plans to manage again. Linked with the Real Madrid job, he replied: “I don’t expect to change my mind, but I don’t know.”
“It might sound arrogant, but I know I can coach a football team. But I don’t need to do it until my last day,” the German added.
