Klopp requests six signings at Real Madrid, including top Liverpool target, as Romano reveals latest
Jurgen Klopp has given Real Madrid a list of six names that he would like to sign in the summer if he becomes the Spanish club’s new boss, according to reports.
Los Blancos made the decision to sack Xabi Alonso on Monday after Real Madrid lost 3-2 to arch-rivals Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup on Sunday.
Real Madrid are also trailing Barcelona by four points in the race to win the La Liga title and there had been rumours that Alonso’s tactics were causing unrest in the Bernabeu dressing room.
There have been reports over the last few months that Real Madrid president Florentino Perez is obsessed with bringing former Liverpool boss Klopp to the Bernabeu as head coach.
The speculation had long been dismissed as unlikely with Klopp taking up a new role at Red Bull just last year but Sky Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg insisted on Tuesday that the ex-Liverpool man give an approach ‘serious consideration’.
Plettenberg wrote on X: ‘EXCLUSIVE DETAILS | Jürgen #Klopp is a candidate for the head coach position at Real Madrid, should the club decide to appoint a new manager in the summer. As revealed on 11 December and confirmed again. Understand despite Klopp’s long-term contract with Red Bull and his strong identification with the Red Bull project, Real Madrid hold a major appeal for him. If Real were to make a serious move, Klopp would give it serious consideration.’
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And Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that senior figures at Real Madrid “really appreciate” Klopp but the former Liverpool boss needs to go public on his intention to resume coaching.
Romano said on his YouTube channel: “There are people inside Real Madrid who really appreciate Klopp.
“The first step must be Klopp deciding he wants to return to coaching. If he does that publicly, then yes, he would be an option for Real Madrid in the summer.
“At the moment Klopp remains focused on his role at Red Bull and has said clearly that the Xabi Alonso situation is not linked to him.”
And now reports in Spain claim that Klopp ‘demands many changes’ if he is to arrive at Real Madrid and wants ‘the addition of two new faces’ at centre-back.
Klopp has put the names of Bayern Munich defender Dayot Upamecano and Liverpool target Marc Guehi ‘on the table’ with both centre-backs out of contract at the end of the season.
Bournemouth full-back Alex Jimenez is wanted by Klopp to improve Real Madrid’s left-back position, while a central midfielder and right winger are the German’s ‘latest demands’.
The report adds: ‘Bruno Guimaraes appears to be his choice, with Angelo Stiller as an alternative. And for the attack, he would demand a world-class right winger.’
It is understood that the former Borussia Dortmund manager has also recommended the signing of Karim Adeyemi from the Bundesliga outfit.
While working on ServusTV On on Monday, Klopp was asked by a pundit: “About two hours ago the news suddenly broke that Xabi Alonso is no longer the coach of Real Madrid. So my question is: has your phone already started ringing?”
Klopp responded: “It actually has — though not from Madrid. But yes, there were definitely a few people who felt they had to contact me directly about it. First of all, I think it’s another sign that something isn’t quite right there at the moment.
“If Xabi Alonso, who over the last two years in Leverkusen has shown what an outstanding coaching talent he is – and I think at his age and with the number of jobs he’s had, you can say that — is then forced to leave Madrid just six months later, it shows a few things.
“On the one hand, it shows that nowadays there’s no time anymore. On the other, the expectations at Real Madrid are obviously enormous. To make a decision like that in the heat of the moment, after losing a cup final to Barcelona yesterday, says a lot. I think we’d already been hearing rumours for a while.
“And now – I don’t know if that’s where your question was going – but this has absolutely nothing to do with me, and it didn’t trigger anything for me either, which would probably have been the follow-up question. I was surprised, that’s true – genuinely surprised. Then a few people messaged me, and I replied with various emojis.”
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