David Ornstein suggested that Liverpool fans could face ‘a couple of interesting years ahead’ regarding the long-term future of Jurgen Klopp.
Already the longest-serving current manager in the Premier League, the 56-year-old’s existing contract runs to 2026, by which time he’ll have been at Anfield for nearly 11 years.
There had been reports of the German FA wanting him to take the national team job in the wake of Hansi Flick’s sacking three months ago, but the Reds manager has remained ever-committed to his post on Merseyside.
In a Q&A for The Athletic, Ornstein was asked if there was ‘any indication’ as to whether Klopp ‘will stay on longer and sign a new contract’ at Liverpool beyond its current expiry date.
The journalist replied: “Not yet, and everything you hear suggests Germany still really want him to manage their national team (I’m sure many clubs would, too, if he was available), so we have a couple of interesting years ahead before Klopp’s current Liverpool contract expiring in the summer of 2026.”
Liverpool fans won’t have to worry about Klopp going anywhere for the remainder of this season at least, with Julian Nagelsmann in charge of the Germany men’s senior team until the conclusion of Euro 2024 next summer.
Depending on the host nation perform at the tournament, the 36-year-old might be asked to remain in charge if things go well, in which case Kopites could dispel any fears of our man being lured to his homeland.
Nonetheless, even the Reds boss – who specialises in long-term projects rather than quick fixes – might have the desire for a new challenge by the end of his current Anfield deal, assuming he sees it out to its conclusion.
The good news is that he still has another two-and-a-half years at Liverpool, and it’s not unthinkable that he could decide in the meantime to commit to the club for even longer, particularly if the squad he’s assembled now is supplemented with further quality and has won more major silverware.
Impossible as it is to second-guess the next move of anyone in football, Klopp’s general demeanour is that of a man with a passion for developing a long-term legacy wherever he works, rather than jumping ship at the first sight of a shiny new proposal being dangled in front of him.
We just have to hope that, if he’d like the Germany job should it come up again, he likes managing LFC even more and will stay firmly put.