Manchester United's billionaire co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has previously expressed admiration for Jurgen Klopp, though any prospect of luring the German tactician to Old Trafford appears highly improbable. Following the dismissal of Ruben Amorim, speculation has naturally turned towards available managers, with ex-Chelsea chief Enzo Maresca amongst those mentioned, but former Liverpool boss Klopp seems an impossible target. Speaking in March 2024, shortly after completing his takeover at United, Ratcliffe praised Klopp's managerial qualities. "Klopp has this ability to drive his players to a frenzy," he said. "Total commitment on the pitch. And, you know, that's one of the things a good coach can do."
When questioned about potentially approaching Klopp, though, Ratcliffe swiftly shut down the line of enquiry, responding: "You can't ask questions like that. While Ratcliffe has shown no hesitation in recruiting personnel with links to competing clubs - notably appointing former City Football Group executive Omar Berrada as chief executive - pursuing Klopp would represent an entirely different proposition. Besides, the ex-Borussia Dortmund manager has already made clear he would not contemplate such a controversial move - or, indeed, a move to any other Premier League club.
When announcing his departure from Liverpool, Klopp was clear on what might lie ahead. "If you ask me, 'Will you ever work as a manager again?' I would say now no. But I don't know obviously how that will feel because I never had the situation," he stated. "What I know definitely – I will never, ever manage a different club in England than Liverpool, 100 per cent.
"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. This is part of my life, we are part of the family, we feel home here. There's no chance to do that.
"But all the rest, will I ever work again? Of course, I know myself, I cannot just sit around. I will find something else maybe to do. But I will not manage a club or a country at least for a year, that's not possible, I cannot do that and I don't want to. That's all."
Sure enough, Klopp has stayed out of the dugout and instead taken on a new position as Red Bull's global head of soccer. Should he ever contemplate a managerial return, he appears to have firmly ruled out that return coming with United, and indeed he has previously dismissed speculation about harbouring ambitions to take charge at Old Trafford.
Reflecting on comments made by his former Mainz manager Eckhard Krautzun in 2017, who had suggested such aspirations, Klopp said: "I really like Eckhard Krautzun but when I think too far in the past I am not 100 per cent sure what is right or wrong but it is still funny. I am sure he thinks it was like this.
"How could I, as a very average player at Mainz, say to my manager, 'By the way, if I become a manager I would love to manage Manchester United'. Maybe people think I am a little bit crazy but I am not that crazy. I never thought about something like this.
"[Krautzun] was a big admirer, and is still, of Sir Alex Ferguson. In our first meeting he was wearing a jumper of Manchester United when he came in as a new coach. Maybe he forgot. There are a few funny stories, unfortunately a few things are not exact but still funny. I had fun when I read it but not all of it is exactly like this."
Before Klopp's Liverpool spell, though, United did actually sound out the manager. It was back in 2013, when the Premier League side were hunting for Ferguson's replacement just as Klopp was steering Dortmund towards a Champions League final appearance.
Speaking on Diary of a CEO in 2025, Klopp revealed: "In the year when Sir Alex retired, they spoke to me," and "Of course, they were interested. At that time, I would've been interested - I was young, I had a sensational team at Dortmund. They probably thought, 'What is he doing there?'"
He continued: "United tried [to approach me]. It was the wrong time, wrong moment. I had a contract at Dortmund and wouldn't have left for anybody.
"There were some things in the conversations that I didn't like. The idea was that big - 'We get all the players we want' - and I was sitting there thinking, this is not my project."