Jurgen Klopp's admission over Liverpool return as favourite to succeed Arne Slot emerges

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Jurgen Klopp has already admitted that a return to Liverpool is possible. The German coach does not appear to be preparing for an imminent homecoming to the coaching world however, despite emerging as the favourite to replace Arne Slot as pressure builds on the Reds boss.

Liverpool have lost six of their seven Premier League matches to bring Slot's success at Anfield to a stuttering halt. The Dutchman impressed everyone last term by guiding the Merseyside club to the title following Klopp's departure, but after a significant summer of spending has been unable to build upon that achievement.

Defeat to Nottingham Forest has seen Slot's future become a topic of conversation . Bookmakers have installed Klopp as the favourite to replace his successor .

Speaking last month, Klopp admitted he could not rule out a return to the Liverpool dugout. Asked if he would ever return, Klopp told the Diary of a CEO podcast : "I said I would never coach a different team in England. So that means if, (I did return to England) then it’s Liverpool. Yeah, theoretically it’s possible."

It's not a move that appears imminent though, with Klopp seemingly content away from the day-to-day hardships coaching presents. The German national is currently Red Bull's Head of Global Soccer.

Pushed on what it would take for an Anfield return, Klopp said: "I don’t even know exactly. I love what I do now. I don’t miss coaching. I don’t. I do coach but it’s just different, it’s not players.

"I don’t miss it. I don’t miss standing in the rain for two-and-a-half or three hours. I also don’t miss going to press conferences three times a week.

"Having 10 or 12 interviews a week, I don’t miss that. I don’t. I don’t miss being in the dressing room. I coached around 1,080 games so I was in the dressing room very, very often.

"I don’t want to die in the dressing room. It’s these kind of things. I’m 58. From your perspective that might be old, but from other perspectives, it’s not that old.

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"That means I could make a decision in a few years. I don’t know. Do I have to make a decision today? I will not coach again, but thank God I do not have to do that, I can just see what the future brings."

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk believes the onus is on his team-mates to lift the side. The defender has called on the Reds to support one another.

"We are definitely letting him (Slot) down but we’ve let ourselves down as well," Van Dijk said. "You look at yourself first and then you help each other, you help each other get out of this mess because at the moment it is a mess – that’s just a fact."

Former Liverpool ace Jamie Redknapp says it is premature to consider Slot's future. "After Jurgen Klopp leaving the club I thought it would have some negative effect on the team," he said.

"There wasn’t. They did something absolutely extraordinary and won the league.

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"Right now, I think it’s a time for patience because they’ll be people, pundits, everyone going crazy, [saying] 'Sack the manager'. [Be] calm, take your time, make sure you assess it, it’s been the most difficult pre-season you can imagine for those players."

Martin Keown is also adamant that Slot won't be shown the door by Liverpool . "We have to give credit to Forest for what they are doing but yes, the wheels are coming off now for Arne Slot," Keown told Final Score.

"Obviously, it was Jurgen Klopp ’s team, and he has tried to come in and make changes, but he has spent £450million on players, and they are going backwards. They have simply been undone. Whether it’s a crisis I don’t know, it’s certainly a major problem for the manager to go six defeats from seven. Unthinkable."

"I don’t think you can win the league one year and get sacked the next," the former Arsenal defender added.

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