Liverpool have offered manager Jurgen Klopp a new long-term contract just nine months after appointing the German at the helm as they look to cement his reconstruction of the club.
The 49-year-old inked a three-year deal in October that contained the option of a fourth, but after leading the Reds to two finals while restoring belief and reviving their famous atmosphere, Fenway Sports Group have approached the trainer with a prolonged proposal.
The new package has not materialised for financial reasons, with Klopp’s estimated £7 million-a-year salary already one of the most lucrative in the Premier League, with only Pep Guardiola, Jose Mourinho and Arsene Wenger pulling in a bigger pay check.
The owners feel their vision for Liverpool is in sync with Klopp’s, and they trust the man who described himself as “a perfect solution” for the club to “build the right way” and bring success to Anfield.
FSG have noted and appreciated the manager’s dedication to furthering the development of the squad on an individual and collective level. Divock Origi’s advancement under his tutelage, for example, is exactly the kind of evolution they have wanted, and the former Borussia Dortmund boss is famed for overseeing.
His insistence on building rather than buying success is also respected, with Klopp making it clear from his first day on Merseyside that he is not interested in poaching the game’s superstars, but unearthing future gems.
“I’m not a dream man, I don't want to have Cristiano [Ronaldo] or Lionel [Messi] and all these players in one team,” he said.
There is complete confidence from the boardroom in the backroom team and vice versa. Klopp, who spent seven years at Mainz before serving BVB for the same amount of time, is expected to sign the contract and signal a new spell of longevity as he gears up for his first full campaign at the helm.
He was back at Melwood on Saturday morning as the squad reported for the start of pre-season, and has spent every day since at the training complex.
Klopp has acquired four new players ahead of 2016-17, with more incomings due to follow as he shapes a squad capable of “playing different systems and reacting to different situations.”
- Goal