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Former Bayern Munich manager Niko Kovac has responded to the speculation linking him with Liverpool.

The Reds are searching for their first new manager in almost nine years after Klopp opted to call time on his tenure at Anfield.

Klopp’s decision has sparked plenty of names to be touted for the upcoming vacancy and prompted Bayer Leverkusen manager Xabi Alonso to rule out a return to the Reds after emerging as the early favourite.

Sporting CP boss Ruben Amorim was also forced to dismiss reports that he had already agreed to a three-year deal with Liverpool last week.

A recent report from the Daily Mail linked a fresh name to the job in the form of Niko Kovac.

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The 52-year-old is currently out of work after leaving Wolfsburg earlier this season, having previously won the DfB-Pokal with Eintracht Frankfurt before leading Bayern Munich to a league and cup double in 2019.

However, Kovac has shut down suggestions that he could be on the way to Anfield.

Speaking to 'Sport and Talk in Hangar 7' for ServusTV, the former Monaco boss said: “There’s always a lot written about it, but there’s nothing to it." Sporting boss Amorim has been reported to be the current favourite for the job, while Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi and Germany boss Julain Nagelsmann have also been tentatively linked.

Meanwhile, Xabi Alonso has reportedly plotted his next steps after guiding Bayer Leverkusen to their first-ever league title.

The former Spanish international reaffirmed his commitment to the German side earlier this month, who remain unbeaten this season, but journalist Rudy Galetti has claimed the former midfielder has already picked a club over Liverpool as he weighs up his next job.

“Xabi Alonso, in fact, has already his career path well in mind: another year at Bayer Leverkusen and then he can become the true heir of Carlo Ancelotti at Real Madrid,” Galetti told Tribalfootball.

“Not for nothing, numerous contacts directly with president Florentino Perez have already taken place and, although there is still more than a year to go, the distance to reaching a first verbal agreement is very minimal.”