"If I return to coaching in England, it's Liverpool. So, yeah, theoretically it is possible." Jurgen Klopp said that last year, almost casually. Right now, with Arne Slot's Liverpool sitting in a top-four scramble and Klopp returning to Anfield this weekend for a legends match against Borussia Dortmund, those words land a little differently.
The timing is almost too neat. His old house in Formby is still on the market — six bedrooms, seven bathrooms, a swimming pool complex with sauna, a separate entertainment building with spa and gym — and nobody has bought it. Originally listed at £4.25 million, the price has dropped to £4 million. Still no takers.
A house with history, and a story that won't end
The Freshfield property, sitting on what locals call 'Millionaire's Row', has been tied to Liverpool FC for over 20 years. Steven Gerrard lived there from 2005. Brendan Rodgers was a tenant. Klopp moved in and turned it into his Merseyside base through nine trophy-laden years — the Premier League title in 2020, the Champions League in 2019, six other major honours.
Slot simply didn't want it. The Dutchman declined to move in when he took over last summer, which forced the club to put the property up for sale. It's now reportedly one of Rightmove's most-viewed listings of 2024. Lots of interest. No deal.
Whether that's a quirk of the luxury property market or something more symbolic is open to debate. What isn't debatable is that Slot's Liverpool have looked nothing like Klopp's this season. The attacking cohesion that defined the title-winning campaign of 2024-25 has fragmented. A top-four finish is no longer a formality — which means Slot's future isn't either.
Klopp in the background, Slot under pressure
Klopp officially moved on in January 2025, taking a role as Head of Global Soccer with the Red Bull group. That's not a stepping stone back to club management — in theory. But the links to Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid haven't gone away, and neither has the question of what happens if Liverpool's season ends in failure.
Should Liverpool miss the Champions League, the pressure on Slot will be severe. And if the club does pull the trigger, Klopp — back in shape, publicly open to a Liverpool return, and apparently with a vacant house conveniently nearby — becomes the conversation immediately.
The mansion at £4 million. Still unsold. Klopp back at Anfield this weekend. Sometimes the subtext writes itself.
