Manchester City are sure to be linked with Jurgen Klopp in the coming weeks, but Sky Sports don’t believe they have plans to speak to the German coach.
Despite winning the Premier League title and the League Cup in his debut season, Manuel Pellegrini is expected to be sacked by the Blues in the summer due to a disappointing second term in charge. The Etihad Stadium club are out of all cup competitions, including the UEFA Champions League in which they were eliminated in the Round of 16, and they have lost four of their last six league games to face a fight to ensure they finish in the top four.
With Klopp announcing that he will quit Borussia Dortmund at the end of the season, he has already been linked with a possible move to City. The 47-year-old is widely regarded as one of the best coaches in European football, and has led his current club to two Bundesliga titles and a Champions League final during his seven-year tenure. And rather than take a sabbatical, he insists he will be ready to take up a fresh challenge in time for next season.
“I always said in that moment where I believe I am not the perfect coach anymore for this extraordinary club, I will say so,” Klopp told a press conference on Wednesday afternoon. “I believe this is the right decision at the right time. I just wanted to make my decision known now so that the club can plan for the future. I have not had any contact with any other clubs, either in England or elsewhere, nor have I any plans to take a sabbatical.”
Klopp has in the past hinted of a future in the Premier League due to his good command of English, but Sky Sports believe that whilst City are likely to make some significant changes in the summer to their playing squad, they will not be making an approach to talk to the German coach. Instead, it is claimed the champions have no immediate plans to dismiss Pellegrini, yet this could well change if they fail to qualify for the Champions League next term.
One source of frustration for Klopp during his time at Dortmund has been seeing his star players leave the club. In particular, Mario Gotze and Robert Lewandowksi have both left for Bayern Munich, making it all the more difficult to challenge the Allianz Arena giants. With the cash available at City, this is something he would not have to contend with if the Blues do decide to part company with Pellegrini and turn to the Borussia boss during the summer.
