Both Jurgen Klopp and Pepijn Lijnders will leave Liverpool at the end of the season.
Pepijn Lijnders will leave Liverpool at the end of this season, following Jurgen Klopp out the door and drawing the curtain on an iconic era at Anfield. The Dutchman has attracted a lot of attention over the years as Klopp’s right-hand man but admitted he always turned down offers due to his loyalty to the manager.
In an interview following Klopp’s announcement that he will be leaving his role this summer, Lijnders confirmed it was then ‘clear’ for him that his time with Liverpool would also be coming to an end. He now has the opportunity to explore a management role ahead of the 2024/25 season.
“The moment we spoke and he [Klopp] said ‘I’m thinking about [leaving]’ I said that is, for me, clear: I will go and manage. We will end this project together. I feel that it’s the project of a lot of people and I feel that it’s the right way to do it, like this. The club can find a new coach with new elements.
“But I’m excited to manage, I’m excited to go, to find the right club who really wants [me].”
There is still a tense stretch of both Klopp and Lijnders’ final season with Liverpool, as their battle to claim the Premier League title is very much in full swing. However, that hasn’t stopped the speculation over who will come in to replace the iconic duo, and what is next for them after Anfield.
While Klopp stated he is ‘running out of energy’ to manage, Lijnders is very much looking forward to his next challenge. According to multiple reports, the 41-year-old is ‘under consideration’ by Ajax to take the role as manager next season.
The position at Ajax is currently vacant, with John van ‘t Schip steering the ship on an interim basis until the end of the term. The Dutch powerhouse club are very much in a transitional period right now, as the 36-time league champions are 31 points adrift of Eredivisie leaders PSV.
Ajax clearly value Lijnders and his expertise, as they consulted him ahead of their move for ex-Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson in the January window.
Should Lijnders take the role, he will be reunited with the midfielder, who has featured nine times for Ajax since he pushed for a move out of Saudi Arabia, just six months into his three-year deal.
