Jurgen Klopp was left totally bemused when he discovered a signed Manchester United contract had been left right in front of him at Old Trafford following Liverpool's FA Cup defeat last month.

The peculiar situation arose following a PR stunt involving American rapper and YouTuber iShowSpeed, who filmed himself being handed a fake United contract. He signed the bogus deal in the press room, but left it on the bench where managers hold their press conferences.

Klopp, whose team had just been defeated by a goal in the 120th minute, walked in to find the counterfeit contract on the bench. His confusion was evident as he wondered how it had ended up there and if it was some sort of jibe.

Adding to his woes, Klopp was also left to deal with the end of Liverpool's hopes for a quadruple. At that time, the Merseysiders were still competing on three fronts, having already won the Carabao Cup, but failed to maintain an extra-time lead, resulting in a dramatic knockout by their arch-rivals.

iShowSpeed had previously played for the YouTube All Stars during their exhibition match against the Sidemen at London Stadium in September of the previous year. Klopp was oblivious to his antics, which were part of a video for social media, and was understandably taken aback to find the signed contract waiting for him, the Mirror reported.

Earlier this year, Klopp dropped the bombshell that he'll be leaving Liverpool at the end of the season, sparking a frenzy about his next move. The charismatic manager enjoyed an epic stint with the Reds, and he's taking time away from the game before deciding what his future holds.

Back when Klopp was the hotshot at Borussia Dortmund, Sir Alex Ferguson had him on the radar as a potential heir at United. Fergie was eyeing retirement and hoped to hold talks with Klopp about taking over the reins at Old Trafford. Despite the honour of such high recommendation, Klopp wasn't tempted to step into the legendary Scot's shoes at the time.

Klopp has since opened up about the encounter, admitting: "We spoke. We spoke not a lot but, for me, it was a lot. It was a big honour, the whole talk, to be honest. But I could not leave Dortmund. You are in April and you are in the middle of planning for next season. You have this player and this player who are coming but then you are not there anymore? That doesn't work. Not in my life."

He also added: "I didn't hear about a real offer [from United] but, if there was, I could not have done it. I first had to finish the job with Dortmund and then think about other things. Maybe that is not smart but that is my way."

Any hopes of more silverware before Klopp leaves Anfield look bleak now following Liverpool's Merseyside derby misery on Wednesday night. A 2-2 draw in the Premier League at Old Trafford earlier this month, followed by a shock 1-0 defeat at home to Crystal Palace put dents in their title bid, and the 2-0 loss at Everton last night has all but ended any real hopes of claiming top spot off the back of being knocked out the FA Cup by United and the Europa League by Atalanta.

Meanwhile, Liverpool's future beyond Klopp is looking clearer, however, with Arne Slot in talks to take the job. The Reds are in negotiations with Feyenoord over a compensation agreement.