Bayern Munich have devised a plan to appoint Jurgen Klopp as their manager in the future, and it involves a Manchester United flop.
With Thomas Tuchel mutually agreeing to depart the club at the end of the season despite the fact Bayern could still finish as Champions League winners, potentially replacements have started to be sounded out.
Bayern are reportedly contemplating a bizarre appoach for one boss, though, as part of a significant long-term plan.
According to German outlet Kicker, Bayern are considering appointing Ralf Rangnick as interim manager for the 2024/25 season, with a view to making Jurgen Klopp their permanent boss in a year's time.
The decision comes after Klopp made his intention to take a year out of football to recharge after his nine years at Liverpool extremely clear. Xabi Alonso is also a potential appointment from 2025/26, after the Spaniard decided to stay with Bayer Leverkusen for at least another year.
Bayern had originally wanted to get Julian Nagelsmann back at the club after Euro 2024, but he instead signed a contract extension with the German national team.
And while Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi is reportedly in the running to become the new manager, it seems like the club has settled on bringing Ralf Rangnick - who currently manages Austria - to the club. That's despite his disastrous tenure in temporary charge of Manchester United in the 2021/22 season, with the German seen as an ideal stopgap while they attempt to convince Klopp to take over at the Allianz Arena.
Bayern sporting director Max Eberl indicated that a decision on the club's next manager should be made by the end of April, too, meaning there's not long before a conclusion is drawn.
In FourFourTwo's view, waiting for Klopp or Alonso by appointing Rangnick does seem a possibility, especially considering the derth of top-level coaches in modern football at the moment. There's no guarantee that either manager would agree to the job in the future, though, so a more permanent option seems much more likely at this stage.
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