Transfer rumors have taken something of a backseat over the last 24 hours or so. Jürgen Klopp’s announcement that he is leaving Anfield after nine glorious years has left many Liverpool fans rocking.
Therefore, new signings aren’t exactly high on the priority list, with many still trying to digest the news of Klopp’s imminent departure. As expected, Klopp leaving is the dominant story, and his availability will loom large over many clubs over the next 12 months.
Barcelona president Joan Laporta is reportedly eyeing up a move to bring Jürgen Klopp to the club once his time at Liverpool ends. Klopp publically announced that he intends to leave Liverpool at the end of the season following nine taxing years.
According to Spanish source Sport, Laporta wants to hire the German as a replacement for Xavi, who is struggling in his second full season at Camp Nou. Barcelona is unlikely to retain its title and Laporta could look to bring in Klopp to replace the Spaniard.
However, Klopp has confirmed that he wants to take a year out of the game to recharge his batteries, therefore Laporta may have to continue with Xavi for further season if he wants to bring the German to La Liga. Klopp has reiterated in the past that he would find it difficult to manage in Italy or Spain due to language issues, with English and German his only languages.
Barcelona is currently third in La Liga, eight points behind surprise leaders Girona but with a game in hand. It seems much likelier that Klopp would become the national team manager of Germany.
Liverpool is apparently close to reaching an agreement with US sportswear giant Nike over a new sponsorship deal. Liverpool’s current deal with Nike ends next year and talks have been ongoing over a new deal.
The current deal, signed in 2019, sees Liverpool paid a flat fee of around $38m per season (£30m/€35m) and a commission of 20 per cent on every piece of merchandise sold, which is above the Premier League average of three to four per cent. According to Football Insider, Liverpool and Nike could agree on the same deal, which would be worth up to $88m (£70m/€81m) per season.
Should an agreement be found, it would keep Liverpool in line with domestic rivals Manchester United and Arsenal, with the former in particular signing a deal with Adidas worth $1.1bn (£900m/€1bn) over 10 years in 2023 with the German manufacturer. That is the kind of company that Liverpool needs to be in commercially to be able to compete.
