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Cape Town – Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has hinted that he may take a break from football or stop coaching for good when his contract at Anfield expires in 2022.
It’s not the first time that Klopp, 52, has said that he may well leave the game when he finishes on Merseyside – back in 2016 the German coach admitted that he could not see himself managing into old age.
And Klopp, who said in July he will not walk away from Anfield while he is under contract, has again hinted that he may look to retire in three years after picking up Sport Bild’s Manager of the Year award.
In accepting the award, Klopp via video call was asked what the future holds: “I hope to continue like this, but in two, three years I don’t know what may happen.
“Maybe I’ll retire!” Klopp said light-heartedly way, before adding: “It doesn’t necessarily mean it will happen, however, but if that were the case, you wouldn’t be surprised.” Klopp’s current contract at Liverpool runs until 2022, which would see his Anfield tenure stretch to almost seven years – the same amount of time he spent at Mainz and Borussia Dortmund. The German coach, who recently insisted he has no “master plan” for his managerial career, was set to pen a new five-year deal. That has not yet happened, but he did say in April: “We still have so much to achieve here,” potentially to 2027, having penned a six-year extension in 2016.
“The only thing with the seven years is it is pure coincidence,” Klopp said at the time “When they offered me a contract I did not say: ‘Yeah, that will take me to seven.’ It looks like a big master plan!”
Meanwhile, Arsenal are actively seeking to reduce the size of their squad before the close of the European transfer window on September 2, according to club director Josh Kroenke. The Gunners made almost £140 million worth of signings in the transfer market, with the likes of Nicolas Pepe and Kieran Tierney coming in.
And, with Shkodran Mustafi being linked with a move away from the Emirates Stadium, Kroenke admits that there are “discussions” ongoing that could see players leave before the European deadline. Kroenke told BBC Sport: “I would defer to our football operations staff, but I know there are a few names that have come up who might not see as much playing time this season, so whether that’s via a loan or permanent transfer I know there are discussions going on. I’ll leave that to our football operations staff.
“So, from a player’s perspective, whether it’s good or bad news I think the best thing you can do is be honest with the player because they’ve only got a limited window where they can be at their physical peak. “I would say whatever we’re doing we’re going to be aggressive and we’re going to be decisive, and we’re going to communicate well and honestly through it all.”
When asked if Arsenal will continue their spending in the next transfer window, Kroenke added: “That’s hopefully a sign of encouragement for Arsenal fans that, when we’re out in the market place, you might never know what we’re thinking, and you could be surprised by some of the names that come up.
“As for January, I don’t want to get ahead of ourselves. We’ve got to evaluate some things in the short term and figure out where we might need to address going forward, so when January does roll around, we’re going to be proactive again.”
Fixtures
Tommorow: Aston Villa v Everton (Villa Park 21:00).
Saturday: Norwich City v Chelsea (Carrow Road 13:30), Sheffield United v Leicester City (Bramall Lane 16:00), Manchester United v Crystal Palace (Old Trafford 16:00), Brighton & Hove Albion v Southampton (The American Express Community Stadium 16:00), Watford v West Ham United (Vicarage Road 16:00), Liverpool v Arsenal (Anfield 18:30).
Sunday: AFC Bournemouth v Manchester City (Vitality Stadium 15:00), Wolverhampton Wanderers v Burnley (Molineux Stadium 17:30), Tottenham Hotspur v Newcastle United (Tottenham Hotspur Stadium 17:30). – Sport24.
Online Reporter