Niko Kovac: Bundesliga-winning manager gives blunt response to Liverpool 'rumours'

Former Bayern Munich manager Niko Kovac has promptly shut down rumours of a potential move to Liverpool this summer.

Reports this week suggested the former Bundesliga-winning manager was an outside target to succeed Jurgen Klopp but it looks like the Croatian is not in the running. Klopp will leave at the end of the season after eight-plus years on Merseyside.

The Daily Mail reported that the 52-year-old’s representatives have discussed the possibility of a move to a Premier League club in the summer, with the Reds being a potential destination. In terms of a standout candidate, Ruben Amorim remains at the forefront of reports, according to Fabrizio Romano, but Kovac has seemingly ruled himself out of the running.

Kovac has now addressed these rumours while appearing on ‘Sport and Talk in Hangar 7’ for ServusTV where the former Wolfsburg manager dismissed the reports suggesting that he could be the next Liverpool boss. “There’s no truth to Liverpool links emerged in the recent days,” he said. “It’s not true”, told Sport & Talk at Hangar 7 on Servus TV.

Kovac has had a varied managerial career across club and country; he managed Croatia as well as Frankfurt, Bayern Munich, Monaco and Wolfsburg and enjoyed a strong season at Bayern winning the Bundesliga, German Cup and German Super Cup in the 2018/19 campaign. He also won the German Cup at Frankfurt the year before and was runner-up in the French Cup during his time at Monaco.

In terms of their number one target, the deal for the Sporting manager Amorim continues to be positive. “I do think there is confidence in finding an agreement over making Amorim their manager, but there has always been an acceptance that it would not be sorted out fast,” Dean Jones told GIVEMESPORT.

“As far as I am aware, nothing has gone wrong with early contacts and this is a case of sorting details around him becoming the next manager. The fact he is keen on moving to Liverpool as his next step is key and, while there is no actual agreement yet reached, this will soon move on to the next stage of talks when Liverpool’s contact with Sporting becomes active.”