Juergen Klopp refused to rule out a move to Manchester City to replace Manuel Pellegrini at the end of this season after the German announced his departure from Borussia Dortmund.
Pellegrini is now a 4/6 favourite to be the next Premier League manager to leave his post, as City’s title bid has well and truly faded, completing a disastrous season for the Chilean.
After crashing out of the League Cup to Newcastle, City then lost to Middlesbrough in the League Cup and Barcelona in the Champions League, which will make this season the Cityzens’ first without a trophy since 2009-10.
While Carlo Ancelotti and Jorge Jesus, the current Benfica, manager, have been mooted for the top job at the Etihad, Klopp is seen as the perfect fit for an aspirational City set-up, and he was coy about his own future when questioned.
“It’s not that I am tired,” said an emotional Klopp.”I haven’t had any contact with another club either in England or elsewhere, nor have I any plans to take a sabbatical.
“I really think the decision is the right one. This club deserves to be coached by the 100% right manager.
“I’ve always said that if I thought I was no longer the perfect coach for this extraordinary club, I would say so.”
The bookies however seem convinced that Klopp will be heading to the north west of England when Pellegrini is given what seems to be an inevitable sack.
At longest Klopp is currently 6/4 to be the next City manager, while Ancelotti is out to 4/1 in places and Rafa Benitez is as long as 11/1 according to some bookmakers.
A number of ex-players have also voiced the opinion that Pellegrini will be off in the summer, notably David James.
“It has been a poor season and I don’t think he [Pellegrini] is going to be there next year,” said the fomer Man City and England goalkeeper.
“If Juergen Klopp is available, he is your experienced man to take the job, you could argue.
“The problems Man City have had, the games they have been losing and the goals they have been conceding, there seems to be a common theme throughout the side.
“Midfield players not tracking back and conceding goals – Hull was a prime example – and the fact that these are recurring themes in matches, you would think there is something missing on the training field to counteract that problem.”
Main image courtesy of Borussia Dortmund via YouTube, with thanks.
