Jürgen Klopp has agreed to extend his Liverpool contract by two years to 2026, with the club preparing to confirm the deal.
Liverpool’s owner, Fenway Sports Group, has long hoped the manager would sign another contract with the club he has revitalised since his arrival in October 2015. FSG’s president, Mike Gordon, travelled from Boston to Anfield for Wednesday’s Champions League semi-final first leg against Villarreal, where a 2-0 victory kept Liverpool on course for an unprecedented quadruple.
Klopp’s agent, Marc Kosicke, was sitting a few seats away from Gordon and it is understood the contract extension featured in their conversations. Liverpool’s owners were encouraged by comments Klopp made last month, when he said he could sign a new deal at the “last minute” depending on his energy levels and enthusiasm for the job, and moved to hold discussions.
Klopp admitted he had been exhausted by last season, when multiple injuries damaged the team’s defence of the Premier League title and the pandemic forced football behind closed doors. But in early March, asked about staying beyond 2024, he said: “If I have the energy levels for it. That is important. I love what I do but I’ve said a couple of times there must be something else out there in the world, to be honest, apart from always thinking about properly skilled, good-looking, fantastically nice football players. But I really don’t think about it.
“At the moment I am full of energy but we have to – I have to – make sure that is the case because I don’t want to sit around and be more tired than others and think: ‘Wow, why is everyone bothered about the things out there because I couldn’t care less?’”
Quick Guide
How do I sign up for sport breaking news alerts?
Show
- Download the Guardian app from the iOS App Store on iPhones or the Google Play store on Android phones by searching for ‘The Guardian’.
- If you already have the Guardian app, make sure you’re on the most recent version.
- In the Guardian app, tap the yellow button at the bottom right, then go to Settings (the gear icon), then Notifications.
- Turn on sport notifications.
Liverpool’s outstanding form this season – they have won the Carabao Cup, face Chelsea in the FA Cup final, trail Manchester City by one point in the title race with five games left and are on course for a third Champions League final appearance in five seasons – has helped to re-energise Klopp. But he has also been enthused by the club’s long-term planning. The recruitment of Luis Díaz and Ibrahima Konaté has helped freshen the side, a deal is in place for Fulham’s Fabio Carvalho and there is interest in the Monaco midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni, who is also coveted by Real Madrid. Work on the new Anfield Road stand is also well under way.
Klopp considered factors beyond his energy levels before agreeing the contract extension. Alongside his deal, his trusted assistants Pepijn Lijnders and Peter Krawietz are expected to commit their long-term futures to Anfield.