It still fills me with such regret as an Arsenal fan that the Gunners were not able to move in for Jurgen Klopp when the opportunity was there. The club was going backwards and Arsene Wenger’s attachment to the club meant that the German instead chose to make the switch to Liverpool as the Frenchman remained in place.
His stay at the club has outlasted Wenger, Unai Emery and now continues into Mikel Arteta’s tenure at Arsenal. It will go on into the foreseeable future too after Klopp signed a new deal with the Reds.
He said, “There is a freshness about us as a club still and this energises me. For as long as I have been here, our owners have been unbelievably committed and energetic about this club and it is clear that right now this applies to our future as much as I’ve ever known.
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Adding, “When the owners brought the possibility to renew to me, I asked myself the question I’ve mused over publicly. Do I have the energy and vibe to give of myself again what this amazing place requires from the person in the manager’s office?
“I didn’t need too long to answer in truth. The answer was very simple… I’m in love with here and I feel fine!”
The impacts on Arsenal are speculative at present but there are no doubt ramifications of at least four more years of Klopp in the Premier League. The first is obvious.
Liverpool will of course continue to be one of the biggest threats in the league and with Arsenal wanting to elevate themselves back to their title-challenging pedigree, the German's tenure will be a big obstacle. Klopp has won a Premier League title and Champions League trophy since helping the club evolve.
Arsenal and Liverpool were once sides stuck behind Manchester United, Chelsea and Manchester City. However, the Reds have taken advantage of United’s plight and Chelsea’s own inconsistency whereas Arsenal have made persistent errors in the transfer market and missed opportunities.
Klopp’s renewal only signals the intention of Liverpool. That being there is no indication of deviating from their dominant path.
However, the prospect of Arteta and Klopp continuing their growing rivalry is an exciting one. Arteta has a decent record over the Reds having won three times. Knocking them out of last season’s League Cup at Anfield, winning the 2020 Community Shield at Wembley and a home league win too.
Although more recent clashes have fallen the way of Liverpool and comfortably. The last league match at Anfield saw Arteta and Klopp have an explosive confrontation on the sidelines.
“He tried to defend his side and I tried to defend mine,” Arteta said of the confrontation. “That stays on the pitch, that’s it and we shook hands after.”
With Klopp staying and as football.london understands Arsenal are confident of the Spaniard signing a new contract this summer, more head-to-heads are guaranteed. Arteta will be desperate to close the gap on his contemporary.
Lastly, it is well documented that Liverpool share an interest with Arsenal in a number of transfer targets. From Cody Gakpo to Alexander Isak, both sets of teams have been tracking these young talents for some time.
Klopp’s presence at Liverpool will give them an edge over the still learning Arteta. The size of Liverpool, their current competitiveness and the manager in charge all supersede Arsenal, and the club might struggle to secure their top targets if Liverpool come in.
However, Liverpool rose to their summit by making some shrewd acquisitions such as Andrew Robertson, Joel Matip, Sadio Mane, Philippe Coutinho and Fabinho. A range of fees were paid for these players, but they have elevated the side.
Arsenal too need not focus solely on the £100m-plus buys but also on the savvy purchases that can improve their squad. Liverpool can be a model as well as a rival to their cause.
