Jurgen Klopp clarifies his role in Liverpool sporting director plans

Jurgen Klopp has clarified how much influence he has as Liverpool make their big sporting decision this year. The boss also issues a January 'guarantee'.

Jurgen Klopp insists he has a minimal role in choosing Liverpool's sporting director. This comes as Jorg Schmadtke closes in on the end of his final transfer window in the role.

Schmadtke signed a one-year contract last year as Liverpool desperately tried to find someone to replace Julian Ward. Ward had been groomed for the role, taking over from long-term sporting director Michael Edwards in 2022. Only, he shocked everyone by stepping down a year ago, leaving the Reds short.

Schmadtke stepped out of retirement to fill the void but his one-year deal leaves things up in the air again. It's unclear whether he'll continue, whether he wants to continue, or whether Liverpool want him to continue.

All that is clear is that this isn't Klopp's decision. He made sure to get that across this week when asked about the situation in a press conference.

"We will announce something if there is something to announce," said Klopp, per the Liverpool Echo. "I am pretty sure that everybody thinks that [appointing] Jorg Schmadtke was my decision but it's not that I have a list of sporting directors and the first five or six are from Germany and then [numbers] seven and eight are from Switzerland or whatever and then we go and find the English guy. Absolutely not.

"I think it’s important that the right people are in but I don’t have time to find the right people, if someone else tells me these are the right people then I can easily work with them."

The Liverpool boss was also able to offer a 'guarantee' for the rest of the January window - though, it's not a guarantee that will generate much excitement.

"A sporting director like Jorg helped a lot in the last window, definitely but you are right, at the moment it looks like it will be a quiet window, I can guarantee that but at the moment it is all fine," Klopp explained.

Don't expect any late incomings, then. Liverpool will stick with what they've got and compete on four fronts with that squad. Planning for the summer will be the only issue, which is currently the final job for Schmadtke before his contract expires.