Klopp ‘arrives’ at Real Madrid with €200m transfer demand

Robin Bairner
Robin Bairner
  • 13 Feb 2026 08:42 GMT
  • 4 min read
Jurgen Klopp, Real Madrid, 2025/26
© IMAGO

Jurgen Klopp has laid down his transfer demands if he is to become Real Madrid’s next head coach, with the former Liverpool manager insisting upon a €200 million plan.

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Although Alvaro Arbeloa is currently in the Real Madrid hotseat, there is no guarantee that the former Castilla boss will remain in the position beyond the end of the season.

Klopp is one of the main names tipped to take over should president Florentino Perez opt for another change, but the German will arrive in Spain with a formidable list of demands, according to El Nacional.

‘Strategic sales’ to fund signings

Firstly, he wants to make two “strategic sales” in order to fund signings. The players he has earmarked to leave the club are Rodrygo and Eduardo Camavinga – a pair that has struggled to make an impact this season.

Klopp, it is reported, believes that they have reached their full capacity and will not improve further.

In addition, they do not have the qualities that he is looking for in his team.

Compared
Player image Rodrygo
Rodrygo

F (R), M (RL)

Real Madrid logo

Real Madrid

Rodrygo
Rodrygo

F (R), M (RL)

Real Madrid

Real Madrid

VS

Player image Eduardo Camavinga
Eduardo Camavinga

M, DM (C)

Real Madrid logo

Real Madrid

Eduardo Camavinga
Eduardo Camavinga

M, DM (C)

Real Madrid

Real Madrid

€67.8M

ETV

€58.9M

€61.1M - €74.6M ETV Range €53.1M - €64.8M
25 years old (09 Jan, 2001) Age 23 years old (10 Nov, 2002)
Brazil Brazil
Nationality
France France

Klopp targets Mac Allister and Romero

Klopp is planning to revisit Liverpool to raid the Anfield club for Alexis Mac Allister, should he take the Real Madrid job. The Argentine offers more tactical intelligence than Camavinga and has a capacity to control the pace of the game that the France international would not give him.

Rodrygo, meanwhile, will not be replaced in a like-for-like manner. Instead, Klopp will look to a player who can strengthen their defence.

In this regard, Los Blancos will look at signing Tottenham centre-back Cristian Romero, who has been linked with a summer switch to the Bernabeu in the past. His aggressiveness is an attribute that the German wants to see more of should he take command in the Spanish capital.

Cristian Romero: Spurs defender's aggression attractive to Klopp
© IMAGO - Cristian Romero: Spurs defender's aggression attractive to Klopp

Will €200m be enough?

There is a long way to go before any of this comes to fruition – even if Klopp does ultimately wind up as Real Madrid’s next head coach.

While Romero’s links with Los Blancos do seem to be increasing, prising Mac Allister away from Liverpool will be no easy task.

Compared
Player image Alexis Mac Allister
Alexis Mac Allister

M, DM (C)

Liverpool logo

Liverpool

Alexis Mac Allister
Alexis Mac Allister

M, DM (C)

Liverpool

Liverpool

VS

Player image Cristian Romero
Cristian Romero

D (C)

Tottenham logo

Tottenham

Cristian Romero
Cristian Romero

D (C)

Tottenham

Tottenham

€117.6M

ETV

€60.7M

€105.9M - €129.4M ETV Range €54.6M - €66.8M
27 years old (24 Dec, 1998) Age 27 years old (27 Apr, 1998)
Argentina Argentina
Nationality
Argentina Argentina

Mac Allister has an Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) of €117.6 million while Romero is worth €60.7m.

While this comes to within Klopp’s €200m budget, the probable reluctance of both Liverpool and Spurs to sell suggests that more will be required if this blockbuster double deal is to get off the ground.

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