Jurgen Klopp signs huge £15million deal to stay at Liverpool – but money has never been motivator for the Reds boss
JURGEN KLOPP may now struggle more than ever to be able to find the privacy to have a family snap taken on holiday.
Yesterday he joked about being spotted everywhere, saying: “The world is not big enough for me to hide. It has a massive effect on how I book holidays!”
But it is the big picture that he is much more concerned about.
A picture that is growing larger almost by the day at Anfield.
Klopp now commands a salary of £15million a year having agreed to stay until the end of season 2024.
Yet in the greater scheme of things, the German’s new deal is what the club’s American owners FSG would call chump change.
It is what Fenway Sports Group are creating — that big picture — and not his new contract that he is buying into.
For he thought long and hard about signing it. Money is not a motivator for Klopp, never has been.
What he wants is to be part of something meaningful.
So he signed on again as he can see principal owner John Henry and his team are not only intent in allowing him to create a team that will only get better following last season’s Champions League success.
They are taking Liverpool on a journey if not aimed at global domination, then certainly one that can make the club bigger and more powerful than it has ever been in its 127-year history.
Klopp illustrated exactly why he is buying into what FSG are trying to do by saying: “For me personally, this is a statement of intent.
“One built on my knowledge of what we as a partnership have achieved so far — and what is still there for us to achieve.
“When I see the development of the club and the collaborative work that continues to take place, I feel my contribution can only grow.
“People see what happens on the pitch as a measure of our progress and although it is the best measure, it’s not the only measure.
“I have seen the commitment from ownership through every aspect and function of the club you can think of.
“When the call came in autumn 2015, I felt we were perfect for each other. If anything, now I feel I underestimated that.
“It is only with a total belief that the collaboration remains totally complementary on both sides that I am able to make this commitment to 2024.
“If I didn’t, I would not be re-signing. This club is in such a good place, I couldn’t contemplate leaving.”
Liverpool, for all their success from the Seventies through to the Nineties, never seemed that interested in the big picture.
The famous Boot Room of Anfield wasn’t just a place where legends like Bill Shankly, Bob Paisley and Sir Kenny Dalglish would have an after – match drink with their coaches.
It was a symbol of siege mentality.
The idea for so long, that the club would sell its soul to corporate identity, was anathema.
And for so long the Kop would sneer at what Manchester United were doing with their prawn sandwich brigade.
But United are now worth $3.8BILLION according to Forbes Magazine, Manchester City are valued at $2.68bn under their Abu Dhabi rulers.
Liverpool, thanks to FSG, have now climbed on board big – style with a value of $2.18bn and the Americans are intent on their club growing bigger and bigger.
Nine years ago under previous American owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett, Liverpool almost went bust and the pair would have fought for any chump change lying around.
Since the courts forced them to sell out for £300m the transformation in the club’s finances has been startling.
Since he began his Liverpool career 477 games ago Klopp has been able to spend £394m on new players.
FSG funded the £114m enlargement of the main stand and are now working towards another £60m investment in the Anfield Road End to turn the stadium into a 61,000 seater.
The new 9,200-square metre training ground being built at a cost of £50m will be opened for the start of next season.
They went to court themselves to lose their sponsorship with New Balance and bring in Nike for a partnership that from next season will be worth around £70M a year.
FSG may be privately bridling at the suggestion that next month’s arrival of £7.25M Takumi Minamoto is as much about being big in Japan as fostering Klopp’s bid to end the club’s 30 – year wait for another title.
But the Americans are equally intent on breaking into the Far East market – the reason they wanted to join forces with Nike.
After yesterday’s announcement that Klopp had committed, Henry declared : “We feel this represents one of the big moments of our stewardship of Liverpool.
“The decision also keeps with the club’s overall strategy of building from a position of strength.”
And a position of strength it truly is with Liverpool having banked £250M in TV money for winning the Champions League alongside their 97 – point Prem near miss last season.
As well as going into today’s clash with Watford eight points clear of the Prem pack with the chance next week to become world club champions.
Why, indeed, WOULD Klopp contemplate leaving?