'I heard': Champions League winning manager chose not to speak with Liverpool about joining them - journalist

04/05/2024 16:00

Liverpool are preparing to head into a new era with Arne Slot as their manager.

The Reds have had a blast over the past nine years, winning just about everything they could under Jurgen Klopp.

However, all good things comes to an end and in just two weeks Liverpool will be forced to wave an Anfield goodbye to a truly legendary manager.

Since Klopp announced his shock decision to leave back in January, headlines had been dominated by who could follow him. After Xabi Alonso took himself out of the running, Ruben Amorim had looked like the best candidate. But FSG surprised just about everyone by plumping for Slot.

Alonso, Amorim and Slot weren’t the only ones under consideration, mind you. Reports have also claimed that the likes of Thomas Frank were spoken to about the vacancy. And now, journalist Christian Falk has revealed more about another manager linked with the Liverpool job.

Christian Falk reveals Hansi Flick position

Besides Slot, Amorim, Alonso and Frank there were more names mentioned as being in contention at Liverpool.

One of the most regularly reported on was Bologna’s Thiago Motta. After claims that Motta was spoken to though, he now looks set to join Juventus instead.

And according to Falk, former Bayern Munich manager Hansi Flick was also focused on getting another job, and so never got in contact with Liverpool.

Reporting on Flick’s situation for The Daily Briefing, Falk says that having been informed that he was under consideration by Barcelona, the 59-year-old decided to stay away from Liverpool.

“He was told by Joan Laporta that if Xavi leaves, he's very high on the list,” says the journalist. “Pini Zahavi, his agent, is very close to Laporta, so he was concentrating on this deal.

“This is why, I heard, he didn't even talk with Liverpool. He wasn't offered, by his management, to Liverpool, which would have been a normal reaction when such a club is free and searching for a manager.

“Now the Barcelona option is away and I heard that Hansi Flick is very, very keen on having a job in the Premier League.”

Would Hansi Flick have been a serious contender

With Xavi having now reversed his decision to leave Barcelona, Flick has been left a little up the creek without a paddle.

Nevertheless, the man who guided Bayern to the 2020 Champions League is a good manager who shouldn’t be out of work for too long.

Despite his credentials though, it’s hard to imagine that Flick was ever a serious candidate for Liverpool.

There were suggestions that the German was being spoken about by the Reds’ decision-makers, but he never seemed to become a genuine contender.

Given the direction Liverpool have decided to go in with Slot, Flick would feel about as far removed from that as possible. He may well end up in the Premier League at some point, but it won’t be with the Reds.