Since the announcement of Jurgen Klopp’s resignation, the media coverage of the candidates for the next manager has been heated.
Every day there is news about the situation at Bayer Leverkusen with Xabi Alonso, who is considered the most likely candidate, and the true meaning of the situation is difficult to grasp.
In addition to the managerial appointments, attention is also focused on player departures, including reinforcements and releases.
There are many reports about Joel Matip and Thiago Alcantara, whose contracts expire this summer, as well as Mohamed Salah, Virgil Van Dijk, and Trent Alexander-Arnold, whose contracts expire in June 2025.
Al Hilal is expected to try again this summer for the Egyptian winger, who was the subject of intense interest from Saudi Arabia during last summer’s transfer window.
According to Ben Jacobs, the transfer fee will also remain high, and he mentioned that Liverpool is likely to sell the Egyptian King in order to build a team of his liking under a new coach.
“I think there’s more chance of him going now Jurgen Klopp’s gone because it’s a new era,”
“Players – Virgil van Dijk half-hinted at it and then backtracked – are going to start wondering whether now’s the time.”
“Salah’s at a crossroads. Liverpool are at a crossroads. If Klopp stayed, I think I would have predicted he’d go to Saudi in 2025 and do one more season in Europe.”
“But Klopp going now might mean, especially if there’s silverware, Salah goes on a high. The only twist from Saudi’s perspective is it won’t be Al-Ittihad because Al-Ittihad got preference for Salah as the Saudi champions and they were competing in the Club World Cup, so of course you want him to be the poster boy.”
“Now they’re seventh in the Saudi Pro League; Al-Hilal are seemingly cruising to the title. So I think that the offer will now come from Al-Hilal (arguably the biggest club, or one of them, in Asia) rather than Al-Ittihad. But the offer will still be around the same number, which will be really difficult for Liverpool to reject – especially if a new manager is thinking ‘I want budget to revamp’.”
talkSPORT’s Deadline Day show