Even the most pessimistic Liverpool fan couldn't have predicted that Arne Slot's job would be under serious threat before the end of 2025 after seeing him lift the Premier League trophy in May. But here we are.
Disappointing performances and unacceptable results have become expected from the Reds in the 2025-26 season, with six defeats in the league coming before the halfway point.
Slot is now one of the most likely managers in the English top-flight to be sacked, and his potential replacement has already become a huge topic of discussion. That said, we have compiled a list of the 11 best managers currently without a club, who the Reds could turn to.
11. Gareth Southgate
gareth southgate england
It would come as a massive shock to see the former England manager rock up as the next Liverpool boss. But there's no doubting the progression of the Three Lions under his watch has improved the perception of Gareth Southgate massively.
Reaching back-to-back European Championship finals, as well as a World Cup semi-final, Southgate has been hesitant to step back into the world of football management and would be low down the list if the Reds looked at the out-of-work coaches to replace Slot.
10. Brendan Rodgers
Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers reacts
Perhaps even more of a shock than Southgate sitting in the Anfield hotseat would be the return of Brendan Rodgers. The Northern Irishman left Celtic in October and will no doubt be eyeing up another job in England after an up-and-down spell with Leicester City.
Rodgers has gathered an impressive trophy cabinet since he was sacked by the Merseysiders in 2015. He has since won four top-flight titles in Scotland, as well as the FA Cup in 2021. He's a manager who has shown he can overachieve at times, but don't expect him back at the club.
9. Marco Rose
Marco Rose
Marco Rose most recently worked for RB Leipzig, one of the clubs overseen by ex-Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp. His high-pressing style is reminiscent of the iconic German and could bring a new energy to the Reds' squad.
However, he was shown the door by the Bundesliga outfit in March 2024 after a serious underperformance, both domestically and in the Champions League. Another outside shout that isn't expected to be in the conversation if Slot is axed.
8. Joachim Low
Germany-Joachim-Low
Germany coach Joachim Low
Joachim Low could realistically be much higher up on this list as the only World Cup-winning boss of the lot. However, that triumph came 11 years ago at the 2014 competition, and he hasn't been involved in the game since he stepped down as Germany manager in 2021.
It's hard to see a world in which he takes on his first club job in over two decades and hits the ground running. His achievements can't be questioned, but whether the game has moved on from his style of management is another question altogether.
7. Thiago Motta
Bologna manager Thiago Motta
Thiago Motta was one of the best young coaches in world football just 18 months ago. The former Italy international took the beautiful sport by storm with his revolutionary 2-7-2 formation and took Bologna into Europe's top competition for the first time ever.
That led to some of the biggest clubs in the world standing up and paying attention. Liverpool were one of them as he was looked at as a potential Klopp replacement before Slot was even hired. An ill-fated spell at Juventus has damaged his stock, however, but Motta is still young enough to turn things around in his career.
6. Ange Postecoglou
ange postecoglou
Ange Postecoglou is a hard manager to quantify. Fresh off the back of a disastrous 39-day spell in charge of the chaotic Nottingham Forest, the Australian taking over Liverpool is now an unfathomable prospect. Add in his Tottenham sacking after leading the north London side to a 17th-placed league finish, and it looks even worse.
Two years ago, however, it wouldn't be as outrageous to suggest the self-confessed Liverpool fan could bring his high-risk, high-reward approach to Anfield. After all, he always wins in his second season.
5. Edin Terzic
Borussia Dortmund manager Edin Terzic
Borussia Dortmund manager Edin Terzic
Edin Terzic is two results away from being viewed in a completely different light. He came within one game of de-throning the dominant Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga and led Borussia Dortmund to a Champions League final.
Had he beaten both Bayern and Real Madrid to those major honours, the German-born tactician would still be seen as an exciting young coach at just 43 years old. After losing at Wembley Stadium to Los Blancos, Terzic left Dortmund by his own request.
4. Erik ten Hag
MixCollage-23-Aug-2025-05-30-PM-2131
No, we're not actually suggesting Erik ten Hag could realistically put his Manchester United past behind him and take over Liverpool. After all, why would the club appoint a man who was beaten 7-0 in their own stadium? But that doesn't take away from the achievements the Dutchman can boast.
His time at Ajax left a lot of people thinking we were witnessing the second coming of Pep Guardiola. Granted, things went downhill at Old Trafford after a strong first season and two cup wins, but the Man Utd manager's job has proven a tough task for some of the best coaches in the world.
3. Xavi Hernandez
xavi hernandez barcelona
Xavi looked set to follow up his legendary career as a player by building a dynasty in the Camp Nou dugout. Everything started so well, as he showed his tactical genius and led Barcelona to the 2022/23 La Liga title.
Xavi made a habit of dismantling Barca's biggest rivals, Real Madrid. While the style of play was easy on the eye, it all came undone as behind-the-scenes issues were made public and Xavi was eventually sacked in 2024 after already performing a U-turn on his decision to resign earlier that season.
2. Jurgen Klopp
Jurgen Klopp
A Jurgen Klopp return would send the atmosphere at Anfield to stratospheric levels. The man who revived the sleeping giants after his appointment in 2015, the German was welcome to stay for as long as he wanted to after lifting the Premier League and Champions League during his nine-year reign.
When the news dropped in January 2024 that he would be stepping down, the football world went into a state of shock. Heartbroken Liverpool fans were worried the club would turn into a modern-day Man Utd in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era. He's
1. Zinedine Zidane
Zinedine Zidane
Zinedine Zidane
Who can argue with a three-time Champions League winner? Zinedine Zidane is one of the rare cases of one of the greatest players in football history going on to be as successful on the touchline.
Harnessing the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema and Luka Modric all in one team, the Frenchman commanded respect and got the best out of his extremely talented squad at Real Madrid. He's yet to step back into management since having two spells at the Santiago Bernabeu, but he'd be highly sought-after if he made it clear he wanted back in.
Liverpool - Unemployed Managers
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