First victim of Jurgen Klopp Real Madrid reign leaked amid €260m spending spree
Jurgen Klopp will put Andriy Lunin up for sale if he becomes Real Madrid manager this summer, according to reports, while Los Blancos could also splash around €260million (£227m) on five new signings to back the German.
Klopp has been Red Bull’s Head of Global Soccer since January 2025. The role has allowed Klopp to stay involved in the game without the day-to-day pressure of managing a team, allowing him to spend more time with his family.
However, the Liverpool icon could be tempted back into management if he receives an offer from an elite club, and a stunning move to Real Madrid is a concrete option.
Madrid president Florentino Perez looks set to contact Klopp at the end of the season, with Alvaro Arbeloa set to be sacked after a trophyless campaign.
As per Tribuna, who cite reports emerging from Spain, Klopp is ‘ready to lead’ Madrid next season and has already laid out his first demand.
He wants Perez to sell backup goalkeeper Lunin and sign German shot-stopper Noah Atubolu as a replacement.
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Lunin ‘does not figure into Klopp’s plans’ at the Bernabeu, as the manager wants a better No 1 to eventually succeed from Thibaut Courtois.
Atubolu has emerged as Klopp’s favoured target, as the Freiburg star is one of the best keepers in the German Bundesliga.
The report adds that Madrid have long been in contact with Klopp’s camp, with the 58-year-old ‘ready to return to management’ this summer.
Reports in the Spanish media claimed on Monday that Klopp is demanding five signings to revamp the Madrid squad, which could cost the club around €260m.
In addition to Atubolu, Klopp is keen to overhaul the midfield by capturing Manchester City’s Rodri and Alexis Mac Allister of Liverpool.
He is also hopeful of landing Borussia Dortmund centre-half Nico Schlotterbeck and Juventus forward Kenan Yildiz.
Separate reports suggest Madrid superstar Kylian Mbappe would rather Mauricio Pochettino be appointed than Klopp.
Jurgen Klopp ‘the chosen one’ at Real Madrid
However, it is unclear whether Mbappe will get his way, as Klopp has been described as ‘the chosen one’ for Madrid.
Following their Champions League exit at the hands of Bayern Munich, The Athletic’s Madrid correspondent, Mario Cortegana, confirmed Arbeloa is highly likely to be sacked at the end of the campaign.
Cortegana revealed that Perez is a long-term admirer of Pochettino, while adding that Klopp, Zinedine Zidane and Dider Deschamps are all candidates, too.
Perez would love a reunion with Zidane, but the iconic former midfielder wants to manage the French national team next.
Deschamps will become a free agent after the World Cup, which could prompt talks with the Madrid hierarchy.
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