Surprise Liverpool manager target breaks silence on Anfield links | OneFootball

Niko Kovac has shut down talk of him potentially replacing Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool.

Former Bayern Munich boss Kovac has been linked with a move to Anfield in recent days, with the Reds still on the hunt for a successor to Klopp.

However, the Croatian insists these reports are wide of the mark and he has not held talks with Liverpool about becoming their new manager.

"There's always a lot written about it, but there's nothing to it," he told Sportkrone.

Kovac has been out of work for a month after being sacked by Wolfsburg late into his second season in charge, with ex-Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl replacing him at the Volkswagen Arena.

He's best known for his spell in charge of Bayern between 2018 and 2019, during which Liverpool dumped the Bavarian giants out of the Champions League at the last 16 stage on their way to a sixth European Cup. Shortly prior to his departure from the Allianz Arena, Kovac's Bayern recorded a memorable 7-2 win away at Tottenham Hotspur.

Prior to that, Kovac made his name in club management with Eintracht Frankfurt, ending their 30-year trophy drought with victory in the 2018 DFB-Pokal, beating Bayern in the final in his last match in charge before heading down to Bavaria.

Kovac's managerial career began with Croatia's Under-21 squad in 2012, before taking over as head coach of the senior team between 2013 and 2015, notably leading them at the 2014 FIFA World Cup. They were eliminated at the group stage.

Liverpool, meanwhile, are still identifying managerial targets to interview, and sources have told 90min they would like to speak to three candidates before deciding on a finalist. Sporting CP's Ruben Amorim is currently the leading contender.