Jurgen Klopp’s No 2 at Liverpool, Zeljko Buvac, becomes new favourite for Arsenal job

Nicknamed ‘The Brain’, Buvac has worked with Klopp for 17 years – at Mainz, Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool.

However, Buvac has taken a hiatus until the end of the season, with Liverpool stating the Bosnian Serb is “spending some time away from the first team environment between now and the end of the season”.

Though cited as personal reasons, it has been reported that the 56-year-old was becoming an increasingly distant figure at Melwood when it comes to first-team dealings.

In a surprise twist, the odds of Buvac replacing Arsene Wenger in the summer have dramatically shortened after reports in Bosnia suggested the Liverpool No 2 was Arsenal-bound - with the news coming from the same agency which claimed Klopp and Buvac would take charge at Anfield a day before Brendan Rodgers was sacked.

Buvac was listed at 40/1 to become the Arsenal manager on Monday, but those odds have since dropped to 3/1.

The reports come after The Sun claimed Jose Mourinho’s current assistant at Manchester United, Rui Faria, has made Arsenal’s 14-man shortlist for the soon-to-be vacant managerial role.

Neither Faria or Buvac have experience in a managerial role.