Pep Guardiola, the Premier League and Xabi Alonso: Winners & losers of Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool exit as FSG try to replace legendary boss

Manchester City celebrity fan Liam Gallagher has bid "good riddance" to Klopp and that's not in the least bit surprising.

The Liverpool manager has proven the one thorn in City's side over the past six years, managing to knock the state-sponsored club out of the Champions League in 2017-18 and consign them to a distant second-place finish in the 2019-20 Premier League. Klopp's resurgent Reds are also presently top the table, meaning there is an outside chance that Pep Guardiola will be denied a historic fourth consecutive title.

Still, Klopp going means that no matter what happens between now and the end of the season, there is no end in sight to City's sustained success. Remember, while Guardiola's contract expires in 2025, he recently hinted that he could extend his stay at the Etihad. Klopp says he is "running out of energy" but his great rival says that still has plenty in reserve. So, as long as their lawyers and accountants keep taking care of business off the field, City will continue to dominate on it.

Klopp has been unequivocal: he's stepping down because he's approaching breaking point. He loves Liverpool but feels he's little left to give after nine incredible but exhausting years at Anfield - and that makes an awful lot of sense. Klopp's commitment to the cause is well-known and deep-rooted.

However, the explanation of his exit has stopped many supporters pointing the finger at the club's American owners. We know that Klopp has been sometimes frustrated by the parsimony of the Fenway Sports Group (FSG) and many fans are simply presuming that there has been a falling-out behind the scenes over player recruitment.

Furthermore, the mere fact that Klopp and his entire coaching staff are quitting is being interpreted by some Reds as a total show of dissatisfaction with John Henry & Co, so further calls of 'FSG Out!' are inevitable between now and the end of the season.

Consequently, the owners are now under colossal pressure to appoint a worthy successor, one that will go some way towards appeasing the fury of fans that have long despised them. FSG cannot afford to get this next move wrong.

Bayer Leverkusen have previously denied that there is a clause in Xabi Alonso's contract that would allow him to join Liverpool, Real Madrid or Bayern Munich at the end of the season if one of his former clubs came calling.

However, CEO Fernando Carro stated last November that "sometimes agreements that are not on paper are agreements as well". The message was clear: Leverkusen would not stand in Alonso's way if the Spaniard wanted to leave the BayArena.

Of course, Alonso says he's happy where he is - and why wouldn't he be? Leverkusen are currently four points clear at the top of the Bundesliga, meaning he could make history this season by leading the club to a first-ever German title.

But Alonso must also be secretly happy that he's the favourite with both with the bookmakers and Liverpool fans to succeed Klopp this summer. At the very least, it's testament to the wonderful job he's doing at Leverkusen and the high esteem in which he's held at Anfield.

The feeling at the moment is that one of the most prestigious positions in the game is his if he wants it. Furthermore, with Madrid having decided to renew Carlo Ancelotti's contract and Bayern sticking with Thomas Tuchel (for now, at least), Liverpool look like they're perfectly placed to land the perfect Klopp replacement.

The reasoning here is twofold. Firstly, Klopp's imminent departure means the Premier League will lose one of the most entertaining figures in world football. Indeed, no matter what one thinks about Klopp, there's just no denying that he's an incredibly compelling character. His post-match interviews are so often must-see TV because of the way in which he so often veers from jokes to jibes. He will be missed (although perhaps not by TNT Sports and referees!).

Secondly, and far more damagingly, the league is losing the only coach that managed to make England's top flight appear competitive. Were it not for the outstanding job Klopp did at Liverpool, City would have won six titles in a row - and every single one at a canter.

It's just so difficult, then, to see anyone filling the enormous void he'll leave behind not just at Anfield but in the Premier League. What other manager working in England has proven himself capable of constructing a team that could get the better of Guardiola's City over a 38-game season? Right now, there's not one - Mikel Arteta's Arsenal are going backwards, Erik ten Hag's Manchester United are a mess, Mauricio Pochettino's Chelsea are progressing painfully slowly and Ange Postecoglou's Tottenham lack the resources to sustain a title challenge - and while that's great for Pep, it's a problem for the Premier League.

Given Klopp's desire to take a break, it would be a massive surprise to see him return to club football next season - if, in fact, he returns at all. What would not come as a surprise, though, is Klopp taking over Germany.

Obviously, it's a high-profile position that comes with an enormous amount of pressure. Even the experienced Hansi Flick couldn't handle it. But there is no getting away from the fact that international management is less mentally and physically demanding than the club game, which is why so many managers take charge of countries at the tail end of their careers. It's fewer games and a lot less work.

Then there's the fact that Julian Nagelsmann has only taken the Germany job until after the conclusion of the 2024 Euros and, as it stands, it's thought that the former Bayern Munich boss will step down no matter what happens, given he's only 36 and said to be keen to return to day-to-day coaching.

Klopp will be in no rush to return to work after he bids an emotional goodbye to Liverpool but he could find it difficult to ignore Germany's call.

Klopp stepping down was the news that Liverpool fans never wanted to hear, so it was always going to be a bitter pill to swallow. But the timing has made it absolutely unpalatable.

Remember, Klopp was meant to continue until at least 2026. So, to have to deal with the reality of his departure now is tough to take, particularly as the team is flying.

Liverpool are top of the Premier League, in the final of the Carabao Cup, through to the last 16 of the Europa League and play Norwich at home in the fourth round of the FA Cup on Sunday evening. Fair to say, then, that the supporters didn't expect to be feeling quite so deflated at a time when their team is still fighting on four fronts.

They could yet win another trophy or two under Klopp but their joy will be accompanied by an underlying sense of trepidation tied to the thought of what comes next. Even if their first-choice replacement Alonso arrives, there's no guarantee that he will be able to build on the foundations for success laid by his predecessor.

Liverpool Reloaded were meant to usher in a new era of success under Klopp but the fans instead fear that it could signal its end.