Featured Image Credit: Getty
Topics: Liverpool, Jurgen Klopp, Football, Premier League
Tom Jenkins
FSG President Mike Gordon made a desperate last-gasp attempt to convince Jurgen Klopp to stay at Liverpool but the German rejected the proposal.
Klopp has been Liverpool's manager since 2015 and has won everything on offer in the years since bar the Europa League, including the club's first-ever Premier League title.
During his tenure, the 56-year-old has steered Liverpool to three Champions League finals, clinching victory in one and enduring defeat in two.
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Having become synonymous with Liverpool's success, Klopp's departure would undoubtedly leave a significant void, necessitating the club to seek out a suitable replacement.
The current favourite for the job is Bayer Leverkusen's Xabi Alonso according to the latest odds, and with the Spaniard currently sitting top of the Bundesliga without losing a single match, he could be the perfect man to replace Klopp.
Despite the excitement of Alonso, the idea of losing Klopp was difficult for FSG to accept, and despite accepting the 56-year-old's decision originally, Mike Gordon made a final attempt to persuade Klopp to stay over the phone.
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According to reports the FSG president 'offered to open his chequebook and change his mind.'
Whilst this exchange was supposedly done tongue in cheek, it's hard to believe Gordon wouldn't have pursued the avenue if Klopp was open to the idea of persuasion.
Despite the invitation, Klopp brushed aside his boss's tempting, money-no-object 'offer' and firmly maintained that his decision was final.
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Liverpool will not only be affected by Klopp's departure but also by the exit of his trusted backroom staff.
Both Liverpool assistant managers, Pepijn Lijnders and Peter Krawietz, are set to depart alongside Klopp, as is the club's elite development coach Vitor Matos.
Adding further insult to injury, sporting director Jorg Schmadtke will also bid farewell to Liverpool following the conclusion of the January transfer window in a few day's time.