Former Liverpool star shares new Jurgen Klopp exit theory as Man City and Arsenal point made

Liverpool's new era under Arne Slot is about to get properly underway, with the tour of the US set to showcase his brand of football to the public for the first time. But while Jurgen Klopp is gone, he is certainly not forgotten, and a new theory about his exit might somewhat unnerve his successor .

Taking Klopp at face value, there is no need to theorize about why he decided to leave Anfield . He told fans in a statement that he was running out of energy after so many years at the helm.

So far, he has not given Liverpool fans any reason to doubt that, having rejected overtures from the USMNT in order to continue with the break of at least a year that he has mapped out. Even so, some people have other ideas about Klopp's reasons for walking away.

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Even Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has been a little skeptical, doubting Klopp's suggestion that he may be calling it a day altogether. The manager at the Etihad has insisted the former Liverpool coach will be back .

But it's the rise of Manchester City, and latterly Arsenal, which former Liverpool man Don Hutchison believes is behind Klopp's departure. He believes the German was doing a near-impossible job by remaining competitive.

"While Man [United] and Chelsea are spending a BILLION and Man City and Arsenal (I think [Mikel] Arteta £500million) spending outrageous amounts," Hutchison wrote on X . "No wonder Klopp thought I can't keep doing this. It's nearly impossible."

To be fair to Hutchison, who enjoyed one of his longer playing stints at Liverpool amid a journeyman career, this is sort of an extension of the "running out of energy" idea. It must have been draining for Klopp to keep going again and again while up against financial behemoths like Manchester City.

And it's also valid to raise Arsenal's spending, which has probably slipped under the radar a little in recent seasons. Arteta has done very well to lift his side to challenger status, but it has not been without the help of significant funds — and even that has not been enough to unseat Man City.

Then again, Klopp proved time and time again that getting Liverpool to punch above its financial weight was part of what energized him. A masterful man-manager, he thrived on squeezing the maximum performance out of his players.

The onus is now on Slot to do the same. That's not to underplay the huge quality in the Liverpool squad, but FSG are not suddenly about to start throwing money around — staying competitive is a tough job, but the Reds clearly think they have found the right man.

Liverpool.com says: Tough though it may be, Liverpool needs to draw a line under the Klopp era. There's a new man in charge, and he needs to be allowed to do things in his own way.

That may mean getting worse in order to get better. There's no denying that Klopp was doing an incredible job with the resources at his disposal, and it's only natural that there will be a period of adjustment.

That being said, Slot will be targeting the top honors. Patience is one thing, but he knows he has joined a club where there are certain expectations. The next few weeks will be exciting as the new-look Liverpool goes public.