TalkSPORT pundit says Liverpool could do a U-turn and appoint 41-year-old as their new manager

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Liverpool are still yet to nail down a successor for Jurgen Klopp as manager.

With around two months of the season now remaining, time is starting to tick for the Reds. Klopp’s near nine-year reign is entering its last stages.

Initially after the German’s shock announcement in January, assistant manager Pep Lijnders was put forward as a potential candidate. Any chance of that has since been removed, with Lijnders publicly ruling himself out of the running. He too will leave with Klopp.

Instead, Xabi Alonso has been installed as the preferred option. But with it proving difficult to extract Alonso from Bayer Leverkusen without interference from Bayern Munich, others are also being considered.

And according to TalkSPORT pundit Alan Brazil, this has put Lijnders back in the running. Speaking live on air for the radio station this morning, Brazil insisted that Liverpool could yet do a U-turn on the Dutch coach.

“His assistant. People tell me he’s got a little chance if he wants it,” said the former Scotland international.

Lijnders back in the frame for Liverpool

We’re not sure where Brazil is coming from with this one, but it would now be an almighty surprise if Lijnders stayed at Liverpool in any capacity.

It’s clear that the 41-year-old does have managerial ambitions of his own. But given the circumstances, that shouldn’t be with the Reds. Not yet, anyway.

There would probably be some support for Lijnders to carry on the good work done by his boss, Jurgen.

Former Liverpool captain Phil Thompson is one who had expressed hope that the assistant could provide some continuity following Klopp.

However, carrying straight on from what Jurgen has built isn’t going to be an easy job. Although the sentiment is a nice one, it feels like being too big of a remit for Lijnders right now.

Instead, surely he would be better served heading out to cut his teeth in a slightly easier environment.

TalkSPORT themselves have mentioned Ajax as being in talks with the Reds assistant, and that would feel to be an amazing opportunity for Lijnders. As well as reuniting him with Jordan Henderson, it would give Pep the platform to prove his credentials at what is still a massive club.

Do well at somewhere like that, and a return to Liverpool would seem more likely in the future.

For now though, we’d be shocked to hear anything more come of this. The time is right for Liverpool to start something fresh. Having been linked with all manner of coaches, back-tracking to this degree would send out the wrong message.