Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp’s agent has revealed he rejected three job proposals following his departure at the end of the 2023/24 Premier League campaign. The 58-year-old cited exhaustion from football management as the reason he was stepping down and has since taken on duties as Red Bull’s Global Head of Soccer.
It comes as no surprise that Klopp, who won almost everything under the sun during his time on Merseyside - including the Reds’ first league title in 30 years and a sixth Champions League - was instantly courted by several high-profile teams. But unlike the time he cut short his garden leave after leaving Borussia Dortmund to take over from Brendan Rodgers, he has stuck to his word that he would stay away from the dugout for a long time, perhaps even forever.
The streets of Liverpool couldn’t believe it when the loveable German, monikered “The Normal One”, called time on his nine-year reign, in scenes similar to Bill Shankly’s resignation in the pre-digital era. However, one softener was the fact he made clear he would only ever return to English football if it was with the Reds.
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Klopp Rejected Two Premier League Clubs After Leaving Liverpool
Jurgen Klopp
But even after Klopp reiterated his undying loyalty to Liverpool, that didn’t stop two rivals from trying to land him. As per The Times, his agent Marc Kosicke revealed that both Chelsea and Manchester United tried to get him to make an immediate return to football’s coalface:
“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. Chelsea and Manchester United inquired, although Jurgen had clearly stated that he would not coach any other club in England. These inquiries keep coming.
“He’s extremely happy with what he’s achieved. And it’s still wonderful to go down in history as one of the few coaches who only managed three clubs and were never fired.”
Erik ten Hag
Erik ten Hag
Mauricio Pochettino left Chelsea the same summer that Klopp stepped away from management, and they subsequently appointed Enzo Maresca before he grew tired of the devil-may-care hierarchy and was replaced by Liam Rosenior. Meanwhile, Erik ten Hag was in charge at United before being replaced by Ruben Amorim in November 2024.
Chelsea have denied Klopp’s agents claims that he was approached, but both the Blues and Red Devils have cycled through managers like they are going out of fashion since - a black and white difference to Liverpool's trust that Arne Slot is the right man to fill his predecessor's big shoes after having won a league title in his maiden season last time out before very weakly defending it.
England Also Approached Klopp Before Appointing Thomas Tuchel
Tuchel
England became the first European nation to win all eight qualifying matches for a World Cup without conceding a single goal in 2025, which put to bed any murmurs of discontent that the FA had appointed a German - the nation's third-ever foreign manager - to replace Gareth Southgate and attempt to sow a second star above their crest this coming summer.
It now seems, however, that the plan was always for the St George’s Park operators to redirect their philosophy away from appointing up-and-coming English coaches in favour of someone who is a natural-born winner, as Klopp was also approached during the hiring process. Both he and Tuchel have a glittering track record of going far in tournaments, often finishing with silverware to boot.
Klopp, as expected given his strong preference for rest, wasn’t interested. But his agent hasn’t ruled out a return to management at some point, having admitted: "Maybe at some point he’ll say he needs to smell the locker room again. Before joining Red Bull, Jurgen could have coached the USA or England. Probably also Germany, if Julian Nagelsmann hadn’t already been there."
But if Klopp does return anytime soon, it would likely be a move towards the Real Madrid post - for which he is the favourite - or something closer to home in Germany.