Experienced Italian manager Gian Piero Gasperini has given a positive response to being linked as a potential candidate to replace Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool, even if he’s played down the speculation for now.
Gasperini has worked wonders at current club Atalanta, who have a 3-0 lead over Liverpool from their surprise Europa League quarter-final first leg victory last week, and it seems he’s keen to just focus on the next game, despite being asked about the prospect of taking over at Anfield in the summer.
One imagines the 66-year-old will have plenty of interest after the impressive work he’s done at Atalanta, but he’s not necessarily the name being most strongly linked with Liverpool at the moment.
CaughtOffside columnist Neil Jones has spoken about Ruben Amorim looking the most likely to be the next LFC boss, but it’s clear nothing is done just yet as these things take time, and other candidates could still be in the running.
Gasperini is one name coming up, but the man himself has played those rumours down as he doesn’t want to be distracted by them right now…
??? Atalanta manager Gasperini: “Of course I am happy with links to Liverpool job to replace Klopp but my focus is on the game”.
“We can’t be distracted by this kind of links or stories, we have to focus on the upcoming games”. pic.twitter.com/bhQljcHNkh
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) April 17, 2024
Gasperini plays down Liverpool links
“Of course I am happy with links to Liverpool job to replace Klopp but my focus is on the game,” Gasperini said, as quoted by Fabrizio Romano on X.
“We can’t be distracted by this kind of links or stories, we have to focus on the upcoming games.”
Liverpool fans will no doubt be keen for the managerial situation to be resolved quickly, but it’s not an easy job to find someone who can take over from a legend like Klopp.
If they do end up pursuing Gasperini, it would certainly be intriguing to see what kind of effect he could have with one of the biggest teams in the Premier League, which would be quite a different setting to what he’s used to with Atalanta.