"They haven't called him either." That's Jurgen Klopp, flatly dismissing Real Madrid links and making clear he's not sitting by the phone. But someone is interested — and it's coming from the Saudi Pro League.
According to talkSPORT, Al-Ittihad consider Klopp their dream appointment as they search for a new head coach following Francisco Conceicao's departure. Club officials genuinely admire him. They also privately acknowledge that landing him would be extraordinarily difficult.
The financial wall
The sticking point is structural, not personal. Any viable offer to Klopp would reportedly require additional backing from the Saudi Ministry of Finance — which tells you everything about the scale of compensation involved. Sources close to the situation have already played down the chances of talks progressing.
That context matters for anyone pricing Al-Ittihad's next manager. Klopp is the fantasy. The reality is probably someone far more attainable.
The logic behind the approach, at least, is sound. Klopp's Liverpool teams weren't just successful — they were a specific kind of successful. High-energy, emotionally connected, built around a recruitment philosophy rather than individual signings. That's a profile Saudi clubs would love to import alongside the Neymar-era player signings. Whether Klopp himself sees Saudi Arabia as the next chapter is a different question entirely.
Where Klopp actually stands
Since leaving Anfield in May 2024 — ending a spell that delivered Liverpool's first Premier League title, a Champions League, the UEFA Super Cup and the Club World Cup — the 58-year-old has been working as Global Head of Soccer for Red Bull. Influential, yes. A return to the dugout, no.
He's been clear about his headspace: "As a coach I'm not completely finished. I haven't reached retirement age. Who knows what will happen in the coming years? But there's nothing planned."
Nothing planned. That's not the language of a man about to take charge of an Al-Ittihad side mid-season in the Saudi Pro League. It's the language of someone comfortable enough in his current role to wait for something that actually moves him.
Al-Ittihad need a coach. Klopp needs the right offer. Those two things may not be the same thing.
