​Jürgen Klopp has reached agreement on the core terms of a potential contract to take charge of the Germany men’s national team, the German Football Federation (DFB) announced on Saturday, with both parties optimistic that a deal can be sealed with his current employer, Red Bull. The discussions took place in New York on Friday, bringing together the former Liverpool manager and DFB president Bernd Neuendorf. Also at the talks was DFB vice-president Hans-Joachim Watzke, a longtime Klopp ally from their Borussia Dortmund days.
Klopp is currently in the United States serving as a television pundit during the World Cup period, but he has already indicated a desire to replace Julian Nagelsmann, who stepped down after the last-16 defeat to Paraguay. The DFB issued a statement describing the meeting as constructive and noting that an agreement was reached on the key points of a potential contract. Negotiations will continue next week, with both sides expressing confidence that, subject to obtaining approval from Klopp’s current employer, a deal can be concluded successfully.
The DFB clarified that any contract would require the approval of its full supervisory board and stakeholders. Reports have suggested that Klopp could be offered a contract running through the 2030 World Cup, with a salary not far above Nagelsmann’s. The Bild newspaper indicated that Klopp met the German football officials at a hotel near New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport, and photos showed Klopp and his agent, Marc Kosicke, arriving at a building entrance alongside Neuendorf and Watzke, with luggage in view. The meeting reportedly lasted more than four hours, and the DFB officials had traveled in from Frankfurt for the discussions.
Klopp’s current deal with Red Bull positions him as their global head of soccer until 2029, but there are suggestions of a break clause if the DFB comes calling. If the reports prove accurate, Klopp would reportedly relinquish his role within Red Bull’s sports division after a little more than 18 months, though he would remain a brand ambassador. Red Bull owns a portfolio of clubs around the world, including RB Leipzig and New York Red Bulls.
Germany’s next international fixture after a disappointing third consecutive World Cup campaign is scheduled for September 24 against the Netherlands in Amsterdam. The team will then resume Nations League action at home against Greece on September 27, with Serbia also in the same group. Klopp had been immediately named by the DFB as their preferred candidate after Nagelsmann’s departure earlier this month. The 56-year-old has not been on the sidelines for two years, having stated he needed a break after leaving Liverpool, where he had won the Premier League title in 2020 and the Champions League in 2019. In a MagentaTV interview, he said, “I am more than recharged now, so I am ready.” Prior to his Liverpool tenure, Klopp had claimed the German Bundesliga title in 2011 and 2012 with Borussia Dortmund.
Klopp’s profile as a dynamic and highly accomplished coach has long made him a leading contender for the Germany job, and the ongoing discussions reflect a process of careful alignment between the DFB’s goals and Klopp’s own professional considerations. As talks progress, both sides appear determined to arrive at a mutually beneficial arrangement, with the complex step of obtaining Red Bull’s agreement a critical milestone in the path to finalizing this high‑profile coaching transition.