Steven Gerrard could be prevented from making a sensational return to Liverpool by tax regulations in the coming months, sources have told Football Insider.

The Englishman has been away from management in the UK since he was sacked by Aston Villa back in 2023, and has recently enjoyed a stint in Saudi Arabia, which ended in January.

Football Insider exclusively revealed last week that the Liverpool board have discussed Gerrard as a possible managerial candidate internally, as the pressure continues to mount on Arne Slot.

However, sources have now indicated that his current tax situation in the aftermath of his return from Saudi Arabia could put paid to any immediate chance of that deal.

Steven Gerrard likely unable to take Liverpool job until April

Gerrard is the bookies’ favourite to take over at Liverpool in the event that Slot is shown the door in the coming weeks, but the likelihood of that switch taking place appears to be fairly slim at the moment.

The former midfielder’s tax situation is understood to provide an “obstacle” to any potential return to the Premier League, as he would be forced to pay back a lot of his earnings from his stint in Saudi Arabia.

Sources have told Football Insider that Gerrard is unlikely to be able to take another job on UK shores until at least April, which marks the end of the current tax year.

As a result, the chances of the 45-year-old making an imminent return to a Premier League dugout are seen as unlikely, even if the possibility of an Anfield return came onto the table.

Tax issues evidenced by Gerrard’s decision to step away from Rangers job

Former Manchester City financial advisor Stefan Borson told Football Insider back in October that Gerrard’s decision to reject a return to Rangers was heavily impacted by his impending tax bill.

Borson also suggested that the possibility of working under Kevin Thelwell was also a contributing factor, but that the financial aspect shouldn’t be overlooked.

Gerrard has legendary status at Ibrox after he oversaw their 55th Premiership title during his time in Glasgow, and with that in mind, it highlights just how big a stumbling block his tax situation will be for Liverpool.

He is also immortalised at Anfield after his exploits on the pitch, but there is currently no indication that he would be willing to potentially take a huge financial hit in order to make that return happen.

With that in mind, Liverpool would likely have to wait until April if they did want to bring Gerrard back, and that could represent inconvenient timing given that we are only talking about a potential interim stint.