Jurgen Klopp linked with rapid return to football that could see him in charge of Leeds United

Jurgen Klopp has this week been linked via reports in Austria with a shock, immediate return to football as head of global soccer for new Leeds United investors, the Red Bull Group.

The energy drink giant operates a global sporting empire, including a group of football clubs in Europe and the Americas. Leeds were most recently added to their roster when Red Bull were announced as new minority investors in the club at the end of last month alongside a multi-year deal as main front-of-shirt sponsor.

But the present day marks an important era for Red Bull and football. The organisation is currently without a head of global soccer since Oliver Mintzlaff departed the role as he took up one of three full CEO positions after the death of founder Dietrich Mateschitz in October 2022.

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Now out of the blue, Salzburger Nachrichten has suggested former Liverpool manager Klopp is in line for a sensational return to the sport, only weeks after departing his previous position. It is claimed that Red Bull hope to gain the charismatic German and for him to use his management skills in a different kind of role, uniting their Leipzig, Salzburg, New York and Bragantino clubs with Leeds to create a more efficient system of attracting top talent.

When facing Salzburg in past pre-seasons, he has poured out admiration for the Red Bull project, stating: "What Red Bull is doing is a really interesting project, I have to say. The team is incredibly young but incredibly skilled.

“Again, they kind of change every year, they sell players but still a good team. It’s really interesting what they are doing. The football philosophy is not too far away from ours [Liverpool's] as well.

"So it will be intense, it will be high press everywhere, it will be counter-press, we have to find solutions and that’s why we are here."

The 56-year-old spent nine trophy-laden seasons on Merseyside - the highlights of which included Champions League success in 2019 followed by the Reds' first Premier League title in three decades. Shortly before collecting his final silverware - the Carabao Cup back in February, Klopp announced he would be stepping back due to burn-out in that highly-demanding position.

Last month saw his final Anfield match take place against Wolverhampton Wanderers, with the Liverpool faithful staying well after the final whistle to pay tribute to their beloved coach.

However, any hope of seeing Klopp stationed around Elland Road anytime soon has quickly been dashed. He had made clear his intentions to take an extended period of leave after departing Liverpool anyway, but the 'several independent sources' that backed the claim in Austria have now been shot down by Red Bull and the man in question.

"This is complete nonsense," a representative for Mintzlaff told the paper, whilst the German manager's agent, Marc Kosicke, told Sky Sports Germany: "Total nonsense. There's nothing to it."

Still, the Red Bull Group and Liverpool's relationship remains strong. Just this summer, Klopp's highly-regarded assistant Pep Lijnders has been named the new head coach of RB Salzburg, with former Reds coaches Vitor Matos and Andreas Kornmayer joining him on their next venture.

Plenty of transfer business has been conducted between the two as well over the years, with Naby Keita, Ibrahima Konate, Takumi Minamino and Dominik Szoboszlai heading to the Premier League and Fabio Carvalho last season spending six months on loan with Leipzig.

Lately - and even before Red Bull's Leeds investment - the Reds have been linked with interest in Dutch winger Crysencio Summerville.