Liverpool want to extend Jürgen Klopp’s contract following the Champions League triumph his players believe heralds the beginning of a glittering era under their charismatic manager.
Klopp has three years remaining on the six-year, £7m per annum contract he signed during his first summer at Liverpool in 2016 but Fenway Sports Group will look to secure the man who has transformed the club’s fortunes and give him a longer deal. The 51-year-old German loves being the Liverpool manager and his family are happy on Merseyside. Rewarding him with an improved contract beyond 2022 is viewed as a priority by FSG as it seeks to build on a position of strength this summer.
Klopp has dismissed talk of a contract extension in recent months, insisting he is satisfied with and committed to a seven-year stay that would match his tenures at Borussia Dortmund and Mainz. Having secured the core of the Champions League winning squad on long-term deals, including Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mané and Roberto Firmino until 2023, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson until 2024, Liverpool’s owner wants to follow suit with the manager.
Victory over Tottenham in Madrid delivered the first trophy of Klopp’s Liverpool reign and Jordan Henderson said it will create the belief that Champions League victories, epic nights such as the Barcelona comeback and Premier League title challenges can become the norm at Anfield.
“It was an amazing feeling to know we had done it when the final whistle went,” said the fifth man to hoist the European Cup as Liverpool captain. “And then to lift the trophy was a special feeling that we will never forget. My dream as a kid was to win trophies. My best friend sent me a picture in the morning of me kissing a trophy when I was about 10 so that gave me even more motivation.
“It was nice to know we have come back from so many disappointments and finally got over the line and won a big trophy. Hopefully we can use this to win more. It gives us confidence to know we can win the Champions League and together we can move forward and win more trophies.”
Virgil van Dijk echoed the midfielder and claimed that, given the relatively young age of the Liverpool squad, the European champions can improve together over several years. “This is just the start,” the defender said. “It’s not like we’re going away. In July we start again. We’re going to try everything we can to be challenging for the title, challenging for the Champions League but also for the cups.
“We definitely want to have these nights more often but it’s not easy and the only thing to do is keep believing, keep working hard and stay humble. It’s a great age group of players. We have players here who can be playing for the next, hopefully, three to four years together at least.”
Van Dijk said Liverpool deserved a trophy for a season in which they pushed Manchester City to the brink in the Premier League and defeated Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich plus Barcelona en route to the final. He also admitted drawing inspiration from footage of the thousands of Liverpool supporters congregated in Madrid before kick-off.
Van Dijk said: “If we didn’t get anything this season we would definitely have been disappointed because of the way we played throughout the whole season. We deserved something. But to be able to win the Champions League, the biggest club competition in football, is something special. To write history for this group of players, the staff, all the fans, and everyone who was involved, is something to be proud of.
“It means a lot. It means a lot to all the fans. It makes you happy, even before the game to see all those fans in the square — 50,000 people, I think. Everyone has seen those videos before the game and you’re so excited. Normally I get a little sleep before a match but it was difficult. I was ready to go, ready to see my family, see all the fans and to come out for the warm-up, it was a special feeling. In the end to lift the trophy incredible.”
Footage of Henderson locked in an emotional embrace with his father following Liverpool’s victory went viral after the final. Brian Henderson was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2013 and asked his son not to visit while he was receiving treatment. He has since made a recovery.
The Liverpool captain reflected: “My dad has been through a lot over the past few years, not only with himself but with his family. He will have been so proud to see us win the game and win the Champions League. It will mean the world to him. I am just glad I can put a smile on his face.”
