Germany’s XI under Jurgen Klopp predicted as Liverpool legend returns to dugout | OneFootball

Jurgen Klopp‘s long-awaited return to the dugout appears imminent. At this stage it’s little more than a formality that he’ll succeed Julian Nagelsmann to become the next manager of the Germany national team.

“Julian has stepped down and the [federation] is working on the succession and has approached me in the course of those considerations,” Klopp told German TV station Magenta.

“About two years ago I stopped at Liverpool and said I lacked the energy for another job or for another year with Liverpool. Since then I’m more than recharged, I’m ready.

“German football is obviously at a turning point now. Now we need to change things fundamentally. Whether that’s me in the end or whoever it may be, that doesn’t change the fact that changes are necessary.”

There’s reportedly a clause in Klopp’s job with Red Bull that will allow him to take the Germany job, but what will they look like under his management?

We’ve predicted what Klopp’s starting XI might look like.

GK: Marc-Andre ter Stegen

Not one for the long-term future. He’ll be 38 at the next World Cup, and his best days already appear behind him.

It was horrible timing that Ter Stegen, who has spent his entire international career playing second fiddle to Manuel Neuer, suffered horrible luck with injuries when his time would’ve finally arrived at the 2026 World Cup.

The fact that the a 40-year-old Neuer was convinced to come out of international retirement for one last job, expendables style, tells you something about Germany’s goalkeeping talent pool right now.

Ter Stegen’s reputation has taken a bit of a battering, between his loss of form and injury hell, but it wasn’t so long ago that he was considered among the best ‘keepers in Europe. He was particularly impressive as Barcelona boasted an immense defensive record in the La Liga title won under Xavi in 2022-23.

A move to Ajax appears best for all parties. He needs a fresh start. If he can keep himself fit and refind some form, he might finally take the reins until a worthy successor emerges.

RB: Elias Baum

A problem position for Germany at the 2026 World Cup, with a sense that Kimmich was wasted out of position as a stop-gap utility man. It’s years since he played there regularly for Bayern.

In fairness, Nagelsmann wasn’t blessed with a wealth of options there. They’re crying out for a breakthrough talent.

One to keep an eye out for is Baum. The 20-year-old Germany youth international only made five appearances for Eintracht Frankfurt last season, but is highly-rated and has been linked with a move away to kick on.

CB: Jonathan Tah

You imagine the time has come to start phasing out Antonio Rudiger, who has rarely excelled on the international stage as he so often has on big European nights for Real Madrid and Chelsea.

Tah played alongside Rudiger, but you imagine he’ll take his place as the de-facto leader of the backline. The Bayern centre-back is not especially young, at the age of 30, but he has a few more years in him yet.

CB: Nico Schlotterbeck

The Dortmund defender’s ankle injury was an unfortunate hinge point in Germany’s World Cup.

He’s been linked with the likes of Liverpool and Real Madrid and fits the calm-on-the-ball, aggressive-off-the-ball profile that Klopp has favoured in the past.

Surely a key cog in Klopp’s immediate plans.

LB: Nathaniel Brown

Positives from Germany’s 2026 World Cup campaign were few and far between, but they can take some heart in the performances of breakout star Brown.

The 23-year-old has just signed for Bayern Munich and if he successfully makes the step-up – and there’s no reason to think he won’t – then he ought to have this spot locked down for years to come.

CM: Aleksandar Pavlovic

The 22-year-old was superb for Bayern Munich in the season just gone by.

You get the sense he’s only getting better, although we didn’t quite see the best of him in Nagelsmann’s somewhat misaligned set-up.

Pavlovic will surely have far better tournaments in the future. Klopp will love him.

CM: Joshua Kimmich

Back where he belongs.

Bayern Munich manager Vincent Kompany used a midfield duo of Pavlovic and Kimmich in the Champions League.

That combination proved successful in vanquishing Real Madrid and going toe-to-toe with PSG, but Julian Nagelsmann saw things differently and moved Kimmich to right-back. It didn’t really work out.

We can’t imagine that Klopp would overthink and tinker too much and use a tried-and-trusted formula that works well enough at the elite level of the club game.

Kimmich will be 35 come the next World Cup, and it’s borderline whether he’ll still be in the mix then – particularly given a Klopp midfield needs legs above all else – but for now he remains a world-class midfielder and will surely still be useful in the immediate future as we cycle towards Euro 2028.

He’s made over 100 international appearances, but his time has coincided with this era of dismal underperformance for Germany. Not his fault, but he’ll be desperate to put that right before he hangs up his boots.

FWR: Karim Adeyemi

Germany are blessed with an abundance of technically gifted, floaty attacking players, with Florian Wirtz and Jamal Musiala chief among them. More on them later.

Good as they are, or might be, neither of them are an equivalent to a Mohamed Salah or a Sadio Mane; a devastatingly effective, ruthless wide attacker. Adeyemi isn’t exactly that, either, but he is at least closer in profile.

The Dortmund man suffered the inauspicious fate of being included in Panini’s World Cup sticker album but didn’t actually make Germany’s 26-man squad. Ouch.

He endured a poor, injury-hit 2025-26 campaign, but there is a player there – and a Klopp one at that.

Look back to the 2024 Champions League final and the way he put the fear of God into Real Madrid’s backline with his fearless, direct running and outrageous pace and wonder if a top manager might refine his game a bit.

Put it this way – Adeyemi couldn’t have conceivably done any worse than Leroy Sane at the World Cup. The 30-year-old Galatasaray winger’s international days are surely numbered.

CAM: Jamal Musiala

Working in his role as a pundit on German TV, Klopp opened a can of worms by suggesting that Nagelsmann ought to drop the golden boy of German football.

He moved to clarify his comments, stating; “That was zero point zero meant as criticism… Certainly not Musiala, whom everyone loves, ourselves included.

“We want the boy to get the feeling for himself again very quickly, that he trusts himself.”

Musiala has rarely looked the same world-beater since the broken leg and dislocated ankle he suffered at the Club World Cup a year ago.

These things take time. Klopp sounds as though he has faith Musiala will get back to his best.

FWL: Florian Wirtz

We’ve spent the last 12 months waiting for Wirtz to show what he can do.

Now he’s got a new manager for club and country. No more excuses.

ST: Kai Havertz

We’re asking ourselves: “Who would be Germany’s Bobby Firmino?”

Here’s the closest answer.

Nick Woltemade, maybe, given he seemingly has zero interest in being a proper No.9 despite his physical stature. We’ll see how he develops his game at Newcastle, but the early signs aren’t especially good.

For now, Havertz – who both Mikel Arteta and Nagelsmann have often favoured over more traditional strikers – fits the bill best in being that kind of false-ish nine who does best at bringing others into play.