Klopp ‘hovering like a UFO’ as two sources claim dramatic Liverpool return is ON after Slot sack

Speculation that Arne Slot is on the cusp of the Liverpool sack is starting to reach fever pitch in the wake of two sources explaining why a dramatic return to Anfield for Jurgen Klopp is ON – but it seems they only want the legendary coach back in an interim capacity with a major move planned for a Champions League-winning coach as a long-term successor.

The 2025/26 campaign could not have gone much worse for Slot, having overseen nine defeats in his last 12 games. With the Premier League champions effectively out of the title race already, having slipped 11 points behind Arsenal, Liverpool now also face a fight to qualify for the latter stages of the Champions League too.

In the bottom half of the Premier League is not where a club of Liverpool’s stature expect to be; less so after going into the season as reigning Premier League champions and off the back of a £440m (€505m, $600m) influx of new players over the summer.

Their current run of form is the worst seen in 71 years at Anfield; little wonder that speculation that Slot faces the sack is gathering pace.

To that end, our correspondent, Fraser Fletcher, speaking to a strong source at Anfield, revealed on Thursday that Slot has been set a ‘non-negotiable’ target to avoid the Liverpool sack and with FSG ‘rattled’ by their midweek hammering to PSV in the Champions League.

Now off the back of his struggles, The Sun claims Liverpool are having serious conversations over potential successors and Slot’s predecessor, Klopp, is ‘part of the conversation’.

The report states there are mounting concerns from the owners that Slot is ‘losing the dressing room’ and they ‘could ask Klopp to make a dramatic return’.

And with journalist Marcel Reif, writing in BILD, claiming that Klopp is ‘hovering over Anfield like a UFO’ in relation to his recent admission that a Liverpool return is possible on the Diary of a CEO podcast, talk of the 58-year-old’s return to the club is starting to gather serious pace…

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Klopp tipped to replace Slot on an interim basis

Reif wrote: ‘Liverpool isn’t just in a mess. It’s practically burned to the ground!

‘The timing of this statement (Klopp on Diary of a CEO) is terrible for Slot. He’s hovering over Anfield like a UFO. All of Liverpool would carry him back on their shoulders. And it would be negligent if they didn’t try to bring Klopp back.

‘In Liverpool, the scar from his departure is far from healed. I don’t know what it’s like being Global Head of Soccer and whether you ever start to wonder, ‘Is this really me?’

‘He was exhausted after that time. It took its toll. Now he looks very rested. Almost as if Arne Slot has to watch out…’

Bayern Munich’s honorary president Uli Hoeness recently claimed Klopp will soon return to management and does not see him staying i his role as Head of Global Soccer for Red Bull in the long term.

“I could never imagine him as an official travelling around the country, to New York, looking after the various teams,” he said via BILD. “And I don’t think that will be a good model in the long run. I also don’t think he’ll do that forever, I can’t imagine it.

“I have always admired Jurgen Klopp as a coach who is on the pitch, who develops a team, who moves a team forward with his personality. I see Jurgen Klopp on the pitch and nowhere else.”

The UCL winner Liverpool want as Slot successor; three other names linked

With Klopp seemingly only seen as a temporary solution at Liverpool, The Sun claims that FSG have ambitiously set their sights on appointing PSG coach Luis Enrique as the long-term successor.

Ironically, Slot has tried to mirror Enrique’s playing style at Anfield, having been wowed by the French giants and their manager as they defeated Liverpool in the Champions League last season on their way to winning the competition.

That swashbuckling style of football dazzled Slot and was thought to be hugely influential as he set about his own summer transfer business, recruiting not just a new-look frontline, but in adding a pair of attack-minded full-backs to his mix.

Ultimately, though, that gamble has backfired, and Slot now presides over an almost intolerable situation that sees his position at Anfield hanging by a thread.

Elsewhere, another report claims FSG have drawn up a three-man shortlist of potential successors, two of whom are currently impressing in the Premier League and another who has been making waves in Germany.

Meanwhile, Slot has been told in no uncertain terms that he needs to immediately drop two underperforming players if he is to have any hope of keeping his job.

With the Dutchman now under intense pressure, our writers have debated his future at Anfield and having answered the question ‘ will Slot still be in charge of Liverpool by Christmas?‘

On the transfer front, Liverpool have a confirmed and genuine interest in signing Antoine Semenyo, though a transfer insider now firmly believes any move to bring the player to Anfield may be frozen until the summer amid a big concern aired by Slot.