Jurgen Klopp continues to be linked with Real Madrid, despite the appointment of Alvaro Arbeloa. The former Liverpool boss is said to have five demands.
04:00, 11 Feb 2026
Jurgen Klopp, German football coach and "Global Head of Soccer" at Red Bull, is pictured during an AFP interview at RB Leipzig's headquarters in Leipzig, eastern Germany, on January 17, 2026. Despite leaving Liverpool as one of the most highly regarded coaches in football in 2024, Jurgen Klopp said he never considered himself among the game's best.
Jurgen Klopp is being increasingly linked with the Real Madrid job.(Image: Ronny HARTMANN / AFP via Getty Images)
Links between Jurgen Klopp and Real Madrid refuse to go away. The former Liverpool manager is currently in an overarching role with the Red Bull Group, but speculation persists that he could be tempted back into management by the Spanish giant.
At this point, you would be forgiven for pausing in confusion. Wasn't another Anfield alumnus, Alvaro Arbeloa, appointed at the Bernabeu mere weeks ago?
Indeed he was, although Real Madrid has been coy on the length of his contract. It runs beyond the end of the season, so it was not an entirely interim agreement, but Los Blancos clearly intended to keep their options open after dismissing Xabi Alonso.
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Between Alonso, Arbeloa, and Klopp, there could hardly be any more Liverpool intrigue in these developments. Throw in the fact that Alonso is in contention to replace Arne Slot if results do not improve at Anfield, and the two clubs are more intertwined than ever.
And yet despite all of these links, it would still be a huge surprise to see Klopp rock up at the Bernabeu. For one thing, he gave the impression upon leaving Liverpool that he might never manage another club again.
Of course, there was always some skepticism about that. Pep Guardiola was among the most emphatic in predicting that Klopp would return to management.
But making that return at Real Madrid feels distinctly unlike Klopp. Having got fed up with the constant pressure, expectation and commitments, would he really walk into the biggest circus on earth?
According to Defensa Central, he would do so if five demands are met. The first, perhaps surprisingly, relates to Endrick, who is currently out on loan at Lyon.
Endrick de Sousa of Lyon celebrates after scoring twice during the Ligue 1 McDonald's match between Metz and Lyon at Stade Saint-Symphorien on January 25, 2026 in Metz, France.
Endrick would reportedly be part of Jurgen Klopp's plans at Real Madrid. (Image: Sathire Kelpa/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images)
Liverpool was tentatively linked with Endrick under Klopp, so perhaps he is an admirer of the Brazilian. It's claimed that he would want the attacker to be recalled to the first team setup if he were to take the reins.
The other four demands are all tied to transfers. Again, that doesn't exactly scream Klopp, but there you are.
Firstly, he wants two new center-backs. His old club Liverpool could certainly sympathize with that (although it has snagged Jeremy Jacquet recently).
It's not stated exactly who Klopp wants. But Jacobo Ramon is mentioned as a potential target at Real Madrid, as is perenially Liverpool-linked Nico Schlotterbeck.
Nico Schlotterbeck of Borussia Dortmund looks on during the Bundesliga match between VfL Wolfsburg and Borussia Dortmund at Volkswagen Arena on February 07, 2026 in Wolfsburg, Germany.
Nico Schlotterbeck has been linked with both Liverpool and Real Madrid. (Image: Boris Streubel/Getty Images)
And Klopp is also said to want two new transfers in midfield. That would be an irony, given that Real Madrid's current group is a who's-who of former Liverpool targets.
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Klopp would have loved Aurelien Tchouameni at Liverpool, and of course Jude Bellingham. Federico Valverde and Eduardo Camavinga have both been linked to Anfield in the past, too.
But his apparent desire for midfield acquisitions could put Liverpool and Real Madrid on yet another collision course. Adam Wharton is a possible transfer target.
In truth, even if all of this gets done, it still seems unlikely that Klopp will return to the touchline as the next manager of Real Madrid. But Florentino Perez does usually get what he wants, so if he's set his sights on the Liverpool legend, we will just have to watch this space.