Liverpool youngster Bobby Clark is closing in on a permanent move to RB Salzburg as the two clubs are close to agreeing a deal for the midfielder. 

The original plan for the 19-year-old ahead of the 2024/25 campaign was to offer Clark a new deal at Liverpool before allowing the youngster to leave on loan to gain some experience, however, things seem to have changed.

According to DAVEOCKOP, RB Salzburg are closing in on a deal for Clark as former Liverpool coaches Pep Lijnders and Vitor Matos are extremely keen to work with the player again.

Last season was the midfielder’s biggest at Anfield as he was one of a group of youngsters who helped Jurgen Klopp through a tough period at the start of 2024.

The 19-year-old would come on in several Premier League games and was one of the young talents that helped beat Chelsea in the Carabao Cup final.

The upcoming campaign is a big one for Clark’s development and with the midfielder having a strong relationship with Lijnders, there is belief that under the former Reds coach, the player can reach his full potential.

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Liverpool’s Bobby Clark set to reject up to 12 Championship clubs

With Clark set to move to Austria this summer, DAVEOCKOP states that it will result in the youngster rejecting up to 12 Championship teams. Bristol City, Portsmouth, and Norwich are believed to be among them, which makes the Englishman’s decision to leave his home country even more impressive.

The decision to go to Salzburg will be the right one for Clark’s career as it will be an experience living away from home comforts and playing for the Austrian side allows him to compete in the UEFA Champions League this season.

Along with Lijnders being there, that will play a big part in the 19-year-old’s decision, as Liverpool prepare to part ways with one of their more talented youngsters.

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New RB Salzburg boss Pep Lijnders is keen on bringing Liverpool youngster Bobby Clark to Austria ahead of the 2024/25 campaign with the former Reds assistant coach pushing to get a deal done. 

The Dutch coach worked with Clark at the Merseyside club over the last few years as the midfielder was one of the young talents promoted to Jurgen Klopp’s senior squad.

The 19-year-old was handed his Liverpool debut in 2022 as he came on as a substitute during a match in which the Reds hammered Bournemouth 9-0 and has gone on to feature 14 times for the Premier League giants since, scoring one goal and assisting a further two.

Last season was Clark’s biggest at Anfield as a group of youngsters helped Klopp through a tough period at the start of 2024.

The youngster would come on in several Premier League games and was one of the young talents that helped beat Chelsea in the Carabao Cup final.

The upcoming campaign is a big one for Clark’s development and it will be seen if the midfielder spends it with Liverpool as RB Salzburg’s Pep Lijnders is keen to have the 19-year-old join him in Austria.

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Liverpool reject bid from RB Salzburg for Bobby Clark

It has been a quiet transfer window so far for Liverpool but the latest news from the Merseyside club is that they have turned down an offer worth £6m from RB Salzburg for Bobby Clark, reports DAVEOCKOP.

The outlet states that the Austrian outfit have been pushing hard to sign the youngster on loan but made a bid on Friday for a permanent move to try and speed up the deal as Lijnders is keen to work with the midfielder again.

Salzburg are set to return with an improved offer for Clark in the coming days as the Austrian side are said to be prepared to break their transfer record in an attempt to sign the promising midfielder.

Norwich City, Leeds and Rangers have also shown interest in the Liverpool star as the player’s future will likely be decided in the coming days.

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Pep Lijnders, who had a significant role alongside Jurgen Klopp during much of his tenure at Liverpool, has disclosed how close he was to succeeding the German manager.

Lijnders, now managing RB Salzburg, reflected on this period after Klopp’s unexpected decision to leave Liverpool at the end of the season.

Klopp’s announcement in January shocked the football world, leading to widespread speculation about his successor. Ultimately, the Reds appointed former Feyenoord manager Arne Slot as their new boss. However, Lijnders revealed that he was seriously considered for the role before the club made their decision.

Lijnders’ journey with Liverpool began before Klopp’s arrival in 2015, when he was already part of the coaching setup as a development coach. His relationship with Klopp developed over the years, with the Dutchman becoming a key figure in the backroom staff.

During his time at Liverpool, Lijnders was integral to the team’s successes, including their Champions League victory in 2019 and their long-awaited Premier League triumph in 2020.

Pep Lijnders was in contention to become the new Liverpool manager

According to The Athletic, Lijnders shared that he was genuinely considered by Liverpool’s hierarchy to take over from Klopp. The 41-year-old recalled a conversation with FSG president Mike Gordon, who told him in early February: “Pep, we really considered you, but I think it’s fair for you that we don’t put you after Jurgen.”

This sentiment was based on the idea that following Klopp’s successful era would be an enormous challenge for any manager, particularly for someone so closely associated with him.

Klopp himself had approached Ljinders on several occasions about the prospect of becoming Liverpool’s next manager. “Jurgen asked me about it a few times in recent years,” Lijnders said. “The season before I got the question from Jurgen and two times this season, but each time I said ‘no’.”

Lijnders’ departure from the Reds coincided with Klopp’s announcement, marking the end of an era at Anfield. Moving on to manage RB Salzburg, the Dutchman is embarking on a new chapter in his coaching career. His close brush with becoming Liverpool’s manager underscores his reputation within the club and the high regard in which he is held by its leadership.

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Liverpool assistant coach Pep Lijnders has been confirmed as the new head coach of Austrian side Red Bull Salzburg having spent the majority of the last 10 years at Anfield.

The Dutch coach will follow Jurgen Klopp out the door at the Merseyside club this summer and he will be joined in Salzburg by the Reds’ elite development coach, Vitor Matos, who will become the Austrian club’s assistant coach.

Lijnders has been a crucial part of the Klopp era at Anfield and has often been praised by the German coach for the work he has done. The 41-year-old joined Liverpool back in 2014 as their U16s coach, before stepping up to become first-team development coach in 2015.

The Dutchman would become Klopp’s assistant manager ahead of the 2018-19 campaign and that is the role he has held ever since. Lijnders wants to embark on his own managerial journey ahead of the 2024/25 campaign and he feels that a move to Austria is the right step.

Red Bull Salzburg confirmed the appointment of the Liverpool coach on Wednesday as the 41-year-old joins a club that has won the Austrian league the last ten years in a row. Die Roten Bullen are also regulars in the Champions League group stages and maybe Lijnders will meet his old club in the competition next season.

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Liverpool’s Pep Lijnders excited for Red Bull Salzburg challenge

Speaking after his appointment as Salzburg boss was confirmed, Lijnders has stated that he is proud to become the Austrian club’s new head coach and is looking forward to helping the team move forward.

“I am very proud to become the new head coach of FC Red Bull Salzburg,” said the Dutch coach via Liverpoolfc.com.

“This is a real privilege for me. After PSV Eindhoven, FC Porto and Liverpool FC, I am now moving to another exceptional club with a really good structure and a particular focus on youth development.

“I want to develop a mentality with the team that places a lot of emphasis on attacking style of play and where passion and hunger for success are the basis of everything.

“Together with my assistant coach Vitor Matos and the entire support team, we will do our best to help the club continue to grow in an ever-changing football world.”

This is an exciting step in Lijnders’ career and the Dutch coach has all the tools to become a success in management.

The post Important Liverpool duo to join Champions League club ahead of 2024/25 season appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Pep Lijnders has been named Red Bull Salzburg’s new head coach as he prepares to leave Liverpool at the end of the season.

After returning to Liverpool in 2018, the Dutchman has been Jurgen Klopp’s right-hand man, helping the team win seven major titles, including the Premier League and Champions League.

Salzburg fired former manager Gerhard Struber last month.

The Austrian club are now second in the league and may win a 12th straight championship on Sunday.

Lijnders has agreed to a three-year deal with the Austrian team, and Vitor Matos—who is Liverpool’s elite development coach at the moment—will be his No. 2.

Lijnders is happy to have found a new position in the Austrian Bundesliga.

He had previously said that he would be leaving Anfield at the end of this season, following Klopp out of the club.

OFFICIAL: Pepijn Lijnders will take over as our manager next season!

The 41-year-old Dutchman will join us from @LFC on a three year-contract.

Welcome to Salzburg, Pep! pic.twitter.com/gdXNitWJg9

— FC Red Bull Salzburg EN (@FCRBS_en) May 15, 2024

“I am very proud to become the new head coach of FC Red Bull Salzburg,” said Lijnders in an official statement from RB Salzburg.

“This is a real privilege for me. After PSV Eindhoven, FC Porto and Liverpool, I am now moving to another exceptional club with a really good structure and a particular focus on youth development.

“I want to develop a mentality with the team that places a lot of emphasis on attacking style of play and where passion and hunger for success are the basis of everything.

“Together with my assistant coach Vitor Matos and the entire support team, we will do our best to help the club continue to grow in an ever-changing football world.”

This will mark the end of an era for the Reds, who are about to lose their management and some of the players.

Along with Klopp and Lijnders, players like Joel Matip, Thiago Alcantara and Adrian are also expected to leave the club.

Liverpool have plans in place for new management

Incoming manager Arne Slot is getting ready to takeover at Anfield and he is likely to be accompanied by his assistant Sipke Hulshoff.

Liverpool prepare for the farewell of their manager and assistant manager as they host Wolves at Anfield in their final match of the season.

The Merseyside club is only 90 minutes away from marking the end of an era and a start of a new one.

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Liverpool assistant manager Pep Lijnders is set to step into management after his summer exit from the Premier League.

Jurgen Klopp’s number two has been praised for the job he has done at Anfield, helping the German manager in taking the Reds to the next level.

Lijnders will leave the club along with Klopp, marking the end of an era for the Merseyside club.

According to Paul Joyce of The Times, the Dutch coach could take over at Red Bull Salzburg this summer.

The Austrian Bundesliga team is planning to appoint Lijnders in place of Gerhard Struber, who was sacked last month.

Lijnders, who performed exceptionally well as Klopp’s assistant, is looking for a position as a number one.

He was previously under consideration from Beşiktaş and Ajax .

Struber was fired by Salzburg last month; Onur Cinel of FC Liefering, a sister club, took over temporarily.

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Salzburg are now two points behind Sturm Graz at the top of the Austrian Bundesliga with one game remaining.

In 2014, Lijnders started working with Liverpool as an under-16 coach.

The following year, Brendan Rodgers elevated him to the first team staff.

He went abroad in January 2018 for a brief stint as the manager of NEC Nijmegen in his own country, but he returned to Merseyside five months later when Klopp extended an offer for him to become assistant manager.

Lijnders is highly regarded at Liverpool

Since then, he has been a popular figure at Anfield among the players and the fans.

The Dutch coach has helped Klopp in taking Liverpool to the top of English and European football.

Liverpool would have wanted Lijnders to stay at the club and help with the transition period under new manager but his ambition of becoming a manager means there is no way back for him at Anfield.

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Besiktas are the latest club to show an interest in Liverpool’s assistant manager Pep Lijnders as the Dutch coach prepares to embark on his own managerial career next season. 

The 41-year-old is set to leave the Reds at the end of the season along with Jurgen Klopp having been at the Premier League club since 2014.

Lijnders initially joined Liverpool as under-16s coach that year before being promoted to the first-team staff by Brendan Rodgers.

He left in January 2018 for a short spell in charge of Dutch club NEC Nijmegen but returned to Merseyside five months later after Klopp offered him the assistant manager’s job and he has been responsible for overseeing the coaching programme since.

The Liverpool manager has often praised Ljinders for his role in Liverpool’s recent history and the Dutch coach is expected to be a success when he goes into management on his own two feet.

The Reds coach will make a decision on his future at the end of the season as The Athletic are reporting that he is currently fully focused on helping Liverpool end the campaign on a high.

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Big European clubs showing interest in Liverpool’s Pep Lijnders

The Athletic report that Besiktas is one club interested in hiring Lijnders ahead of the 2024/25 campaign as the Turkish giants are searching for a new head coach after sacking Fernando Santos earlier this month.

This follows the Dutch coach being linked with the head coach role at Ajax, who are also looking for a new permanent manager having appointed John van ’t Schip as interim coach following the departure of Maurice Steijn earlier this season.

These are two incredible options for Lijnders to have and more will likely arrive once the current campaign concludes.

The post Turkish giants interested in key Liverpool man but decision won’t be made until season is over appeared first on CaughtOffside.

One candidate has emerged as a clear bookies favourite to become Jurgen Klopp’s predecessor at Liverpool.

Ever since Jurgen Klopp’s shock announcement earlier this year, several high-profile managers have been associated with the role, such as Xabi Alonso from Bayer Leverkusen, Roberto De Zerbi from Brighton, and Thomas Tuchel from Bayern Munich.

Xabi Alonso was initially considered the top contender, despite interest from Bayern, until he confirmed his commitment to the Bundesliga champions-elect for the upcoming season.

And now interest has surged towards Sporting Lisbon manager Ruben Amorim, who reportedly has ‘many admirers’ within Anfield.

Ruben Amorim emerges as favourite to become new Liverpool manager

Despite his relatively short tenure in management since 2018, Amorim has clinched five trophies at Sporting since joining in 2020, establishing himself as one of the most tactically adept managers globally.

At 39 years old, he emerges as the prominent candidate for the Liverpool managerial position, with other contenders now appearing to be sidelined in the race.

As per the odds via Oddschecker, here are the top candidates to replace Klopp this summer as the new Liverpool boss:

Ruben Amorim (Sporting Lisbon) – 4/6

Roberto De Zerbi (Brighton) – 11/2

Julian Nagelsmann (Germany) – 15/2

Xabi Alonso (Bayer Leverkusen) – 14/1

Pep Lijnders (Liverpool, assistant) – 16/1

Thomas Tuchel (Bayern Munich) – 20/1

If Liverpool are to land the talented Portuguese manager they will need to spend £17 million to activate his release clause in his current Sporting CP contract, per Portuguese football journalist Pedro Sepulveda. That could be money well spent for the young successful trendsetting coach.

The post Liverpool’s next manager odds: Clear favourite emerges appeared first on CaughtOffside.

The summer at Liverpool will bring a lot of changes at the club on and off the pitch.

Jurgen Klopp announced his decision to leave the club at the end of the season, shocking the Liverpool faithful.

The 56-year-old manager stated that he is “running out of energy” and hence decided to quit his job at the Merseyside club.

Liverpool set to lose another major figure

Along with Klopp, another key Reds figure is also leaving the club and that is assistant manager Pep Lijnders.

The 41-year-old is unquestionably not staying at Anfield, as football journalist Fabrizio Romano has reiterated while offering an update on the links between Lijnders and Ajax.

“Liverpool assistant Pep Lijnders has emerged as one of the candidates to be the new Ajax manager for next season,” Romano told GiveMeSport.

“Lijnders is under consideration at the club, but still waiting on a decision. For sure, he will be leaving Liverpool alongside Jurgen Klopp – he’s not staying on beyond the end of this season.”

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Klopp’s number two is highly respected at the club for his services and the German manager acknowledges Pep’s contribution.

There has been talk in the media that the assistant manager is popular among the players and they would like to see him succeed Klopp but those claims have been refuted by Romano.

Liverpool need an experienced manager

Perhaps the job at Anfield might be too early for the Dutch manager and he needs some experience at another club before taking on the role at the Premier League club.

For the time being, Ajax, one of the largest clubs in the Netherlands and one that is in need of an overhaul, seems like a perfect fit for Lijnders.

The Dutch team, who are currently 31 points behind leaders PSV, are in a transitional phase under interim manager John van’t Schip, who was hired in October.

Lijnders previously had a senior management position at NEC Nijmegen in 2018, however it was only filled for a little over five months due to the team’s inability to advance to the Eredivisie.

The post ‘He will be leaving..’ – Liverpool fan favourite leaving the club with Jurgen Klopp appeared first on CaughtOffside.

This article was originally published on Fabrizio Romano’s Daily Briefing, a subscription service. If you would like to receive Fabrizio Romano’s exclusive transfer news via email ahead of publication on caughtoffside.com, please sign-up for the service here: thedailybriefing.io

Liverpool CB transfer targets will depend on new manager, plus Pep Lijnders to Ajax

I reported a few months ago that Liverpool would start speaking with agents to explore the centre-backs market for the summer, but there’s still no major update here for now.

It’s not time for concrete names yet, as again the crucial part will be Liverpool’s next manager. We have to wait for the coach to understand who’s the player they want, how much they want to invest on that position – Liverpool have always involved the manager in their transfer plans.

And speaking of managers, Liverpool assistant Pep Lijnders has emerged as one of the candidates to be the new Ajax manager for next season. Lijnders is under consideration at the club, but still waiting on a decision. For sure, he will be leaving Liverpool alongside Jurgen Klopp – he’s not staying on beyond the end of this season.

Lijnders is really appreciated around Europe as people believe he’s an excellent assistant and could become a very good head coach. Ajax have included his name in a shortlist for next season, but he’s not the only one.

For sure, Ajax will change manager and begin a new chapter in the summer, and for sure Lijnders will leave Liverpool as he’s also ready for a new challenge after great work alongside Klopp at Liverpool.

Gareth Southgate has NOT held talks with Manchester United

Gareth Southgate continues to be linked strongly with the Manchester United job, with some fans asking me about reports that Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS have already identified him as a leading candidate to replace Erik ten Hag, and that they also plan to bring in his entire coaching staff from the England national team.

However, it’s important to say that my information is that Southgate won’t speak to any club before the Euros, this is very clear.

Also, Man United haven’t opened talks with Southgate as of now. I’m still told that Ten Hag’s final two months will be important to understand his future but initial talks with INEOS were positive; so it’s time to be patient and see what happens.

Toni Kroos agrees to stay at Real Madrid for one more season

According to my information, Toni Kroos has decided to stay at Real Madrid for one more season and sign a new contract until 2025. Kroos never considered any other option despite many links with the likes of Bayern Munich, Juventus and several other clubs.

Kroos never spoke to any other club because he was only focused on Real Madrid, and he remains focused on Real Madrid. There was always confidence and optimism around this deal, and now the agreement is imminent. Kroos has decided to stay, and now it’s just a matter of time – everything is set to be signed.

Really important news for Real Madrid as they get one more year of Kroos, who has shown what a fantastic player he still is with his superb performances on his return to the German national team. Congratulations to Kroos as he continues his fantastic career.

Real Madrid prepared to negotiate Alphonso Davies transfer

Bayern Munich want an answer from Alphonso Davies on their contract proposal as soon as possible, but Real Madrid are not worried about any deadlines being set by Bayern, they are only focusing on their position in this story.

Real Madrid are very clear – they have everything ready for Davies in terms of his contract, with personal terms not expected to be an issue. But they don’t want to pay crazy money like €60-70m for the Canadian left-back – it would have to be way less than this.

So now it will be up to Davies and Bayern to fix their position. If there is no agreement on a new contract, Bayern will have to settle on a price. Real Madrid are prepared to approach Bayern and negotiate the fee with them, but they will not pay something like €60m for Davies, that is not their intention.

Let’s see what will happen between Davies and Bayern, but Real Madrid are ready to approach Bayern for club-to-club negotiations.

Olivier Giroud set for LAFC transfer

AC Milan striker Olivier Giroud is set to leave for the United States. He’s out of contract this summer, and he won’t be extending his contract at the San Siro.

As I said back in October, Giroud has been tempted to try a new experience and he wanted to go to the MLS, and now he’s set to join LAFC. Everything is agreed between Giroud and LAFC, we’re just waiting for him to sign the contract, but everything is verbally agreed on an 18-month contract.

After making history in Europe, it’s now time for Giroud to try a new experience and it’s going to be in the MLS with LAFC and his former French international teammate Hugo Lloris – the goalkeeper was calling Giroud to persuade him to join, and now they will be teammates again in the MLS.

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In other news…

Dani Olmo – Despite some media reports about Chelsea being interested in Dani Olmo, I’m not aware of anything concrete happening there for now. Still, he will have a release clause this summer worth €60m, which will become active for the first time. At the moment it’s quiet, but let’s see what happens as he’s a talented player.

Samuel Iling-Junior – There could be chances for Samuel Iling-Junior to leave Juventus this summer. It’s not that he doesn’t want to negotiate a new contract, but simply there are no talks ongoing right now. Iling Junior wants to play on a regular basis, he’s young and he needs to. Juventus will be forced to make a choice – new deal trusting him or make profit in the summer. Spurs were informed about his situation in January but I’m not aware of any development after that, no fresh contacts or talks with Tottenham so far.

Mika Biereth – There will be a race for Mika Biereth this summer for sure, many clubs are interested in the young Arsenal striker. But Arsenal have been clear on their position: no decision will be made now, internal talks about him will follow later this year. So on this one, interest is there and will likely grow in the next weeks but it’s not something serious yet.

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