Jürgen Klopp is leaving Liverpool. That is the headline news. But so too are sporting director Jörg Schmadtke and coaching team Pep Lijnders, Peter Krawietz and Vitor Matos in what is going to be a period of change at Anfield.
Klopp urged Liverpool fans not to worry about the future during his press conference earlier today ahead of Chelsea, insisting that key players like Virgil van Dijk love being at Anfield. But those sorts of questions are likely to continue. “That’s a big question,” Van Dijk said when asked if he saw himself as being part of the new era at Anfield. “I don’t know.”
“The club will have a big job on their hands,” Van Dijk, who was speaking after scoring in his side’s 5-2 FA Cup fourth-round win against Norwich City on Sunday in the first game following Klopp’s announcement, continued. “That is well known.
“To replace not only the manager but the whole staff and there are so many things that will change. I’m very curious which direction that will go in, but when that will be announced, we will see our situation.”
There is no reason to think that Van Dijk — or Trent Alexander-Arnold and Mohamed Salah, whose contracts are also due to expire in 2025 — should want to leave because of Klopp’s exit. But, of course, when contract negotiations begin, definitively nailing your colors to the mast would not necessarily be helpful either. Van Dijk has since clarified that he is ‘100 per cent committed’ while speaking to Men In Blazers.
For Liverpool, the reality should be clear: with Klopp moving on, tying down Van Dijk and others for the future is more important than ever. Getting that continuity in key areas on the pitch will be vital for ensuring that the success of the last few seasons is sustained amid the changes behind the scenes.
But there is no reason to think that for the players involved, there will be any reason to depart. At the board level, at least, Liverpool has known about Klopp departing since November, it must be remembered — and so plans will have been put in place.
It is only natural that players would want to know what direction the club will be heading in post-Klopp but Van Dijk was specifically asked the question. He gave a response only a couple of days after learning that Klopp was leaving when most people were still trying to get their heads around how things will look in the future.
Over the next few months, work will need to be done on negotiating with Van Dijk, Alexander-Arnold and Salah’s representatives. Some of those discussions might be easier than others, perhaps complicated by the lack of a sporting director and clarity on who the next manager will be.
But Liverpool needs all three players even more than before. Without Klopp, keeping the hallmarks of Klopp’s team will be crucial — but there is no reason to think that they would want to follow him out of the door, with the club still set up for success well into the future.
