The tremors of Jurgen Klopp's shocking announcement that the current campaign will be his last for Liverpool will be felt throughout the remainder of the season.
Of course, there is so much to play for, with the Reds through to the Carabao Cup final after defeating Fulham over two legs, favourites for the Europa League, awaiting Norwich City in the FA Cup fourth round and topping the Premier League table by five points, with second-placed Manchester City holding a game in hand.
Klopp's upcoming resignation shocked the Merseyside club, but the 56-year-old informed bosses of his intention to leave back in November, with plans undoubtedly drawn up in the background to identify a successor.
The managers that Liverpool could sign
It's rather clear at this early stage that Bayer Leverkusen manager Xabi Alonso is the frontrunner to succeed Klopp at Anfield, with the Spaniard clear of Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga and undefeated across all competitions, producing some excellent football.
However, Liverpool would be foolish to place all their eggs in one basket and, according to transfer specialist Dean Jones, Germany manager Julian Nagelsmann is among the candidates to succeed his compatriot.
Nagelsmann will lead the hosts at the UEFA Euro 2024, but his contract expires at the end of the summer and his availability could prompt Liverpool to advance discussions.
Julian Nagelsmann's tactical approach
It's remarkable that Nagelsmann is still only 36 years old; having now been a professional manager for almost eight seasons, the tactician has gone from strength to strength in his homeland and was synonymous with RB Leipzig's slick, free-flowing football over recent years.
Intelligent with his build-up play and emphasising swift transitions and high intensity, Nagelsmann turned Leipzig into a possession-centric outfit, but didn't emulate this as such at the Allianz Arena, instead turning Bayern into a kind of hybrid, dynamic attacking team.
If he were to join Liverpool, he would likely implement the 4-2-3-1 at Bayern that worked so well for the squad's fluency and progression, and by doing so, he could be the perfect manager for Trent Alexander-Arnold as the England international makes the change toward a central midfield role.
Alexander-Arnold has long been regarded as one of Europe's best right-backs and now one of the most incredible creative forces around, though the perpetual debate that his abilities are best served in midfield is starting to be realised and he might find a permanent home in the engine room in the future.
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Player
Apps
Assists
1.
Kevin De Bruyne
244
103
2.
James Milner
633
89
3.
Christian Eriksen
280
75
4.
Ashley Young
437
71
5.
Mohamed Salah
251
67
6.
Raheem Sterling
367
62
7.
Trent Alexander-Arnold
216
57
7.
Andy Robertson
260
57
7.
Heung-min Son
288
57
10.
Willian
303
44
Source: Premier League
When joining Bayern, Nagelsmann already inherited a side of superlative merit in possession but tweaked the system to focus the creativity from the centre of the park, which would work wonders for Alexander-Arnold's game.
The 25-year-old ranks among the top 1% of positional peers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for assists, shot-creating actions and pass attempted, the top 2% for progressive passes and the top 16% for successful take-ons per 90, as per FBref, to underpin this point.
Once described as “the best young coach in Europe” by journalist Josh Bunting, Nagelsmann probably isn't FSG's first choice to succeed Klopp at Liverpool, but he is young and enterprising, and definitely boasts the tactical aptitude to sustain the Reds' ability as a high-class competitor at the forefront of the European game.