Jürgen Klopp to leave Borussia Dortmund at the end of the season

Jürgen Klopp will end his 7-year tenure at Borussia Dortmund, with the club confirming that the 47-year old will depart the club following the conclusion of this season. Klopp asked the club to terminate his contract early because he "no longer feels he is the perfect coach for the club". Dortmund have enjoyed a very disappointing campaign, mired in 10th place and having exited the Champions League in the first knockout round.

It had been thought that Klopp would consider taking a sabbatical, but he has refuted such claims:

I am not tired. I may look tired but I am not. I am 0.0% tired. I haven't had any contact with any other clubs but am not planning a sabbatical. I haven't planned any of this [to quit] but it was just right that we announced this today so that the club can plan ahead.

Klopp has often been thought to be a candidate to replace Arsène Wenger when Wenger decided to walk away from the club, and in our Life After Arsène series, we concluded that Klopp would be the most likely successor. The timing of Klopp's departure, however, somewhat lessens those chances, not least because it is likely that Manchester City will have a managerial vacancy this summer. If Klopp is to replace Wenger, Wenger would either walk away from his contract a year early, or Klopp would not manage for two years--two things that are unlikely to happen.

However, one thing that could change is Marco Reus' position at Borussia Dortmund, and with Theo Walcott rumoured to be on the way out, it would not be surprising to see Reus increasingly linked to Arsenal over the following months.