Liverpool have made their statement signing of the summer after Jurgen Klopp put pen-to-paper on a six-year-deal.
Klopp, who only arrived at Anfield last October, has made a huge impression on owners Fenway Sports Group and they were desperate to safeguard his future by tying him to a long-term contract.
The deal he initially signed ran to June 2018 but now, after swift negotiations with FSG, Klopp will be in charge of Liverpool until June 2022. His assistants Zelkjo Buvac and Peter Kraweitz have also committed to similar contracts.
FSG have been ruthless with their managers since they bought club in October 2010, sacking Roy Hodgson, Kenny Dalglish and Brendan Rodgers, but they believe they finally found a man to realise their vision.
The move to get Klopp signed up on one of the biggest contracts ever given to a Liverpool manager was driven by Mike Gordon - FSG's president and the man most involved in the day to day running of the club - but was also fully endorsed by principal owner John W Henry and Chairman Tom Werner.
Klopp, of course, has seen his current £6million per season salary enhanced - thought to be boosted to around £7.5million - but the most important aspect for FSG and the German was the length of the deal.
He is a manager who takes pride in developing young talent and Klopp now has the platform to build a team in his mould, as he did with Mainz and then Borussia Dortmund.
A statement on the club website, attributed to Gordon, Henry and Werner, read:
'When you have an individual of Jürgen's quality in the building it makes perfect sense to secure that person for the long term. To not do so would be irresponsible.
'The overriding motivation behind this decision is Jürgen's commitment to overall improvement and development. In Jürgen we have someone who is always looking ahead, always looking beyond his own wants and needs and putting the club first.
'The ideas and plans he has for the football infrastructure excite us and we believe it benefits the organisation to have Jürgen committed to Liverpool for a sustained period, to make sure he is here to oversee this development.
'By making this commitment to him, we are taking away any future distractions or doubt. We will move forward in partnership together, with confidence in each other and with the club's future at the forefront of every decision.
'He is a world-class managerial talent and his leadership will be critical to everything we hope to achieve in the years ahead.'
Klopp also released a statement on Liverpool's official website:
'It's hard to express in words how honoured myself, Zeljko and Peter feel by the commitment shown in us by the ownership and the club in general.
'We are very much at the beginning of our journey, but to already have the connection we have with this very special place is incredible.
'I am the first to recognise that with this great commitment comes a great responsibility. All of our coaching careers we have looked to make teams and clubs better, with the ultimate goal of making the supporters proud and happy.
'To do this we have to make sure we always put player and team development at the heart of every major decision. It is my job to lead that and ensure every element of the LFC football environment reflects the best practices in the game. It is fantastic that the club's ownership is just as committed to this as we are.
'There is much to do and much to achieve and we look to do this by being the most completely together group anywhere in the world. That's everyone and we all have responsibility for it - all of us who are part of this LFC family: players, staff, ownership and of course the supporters.
'By being together at all times, we will be stronger, better and our successes sweeter.'
'By being together at all times, we will be stronger, better and our successes sweeter.'
Liverpool play their first game of pre-season on Friday evening at Tranmere and new signings defender Joel Matip, goalkeeper Loris Karius and £30million forward Sadio Mane will all get minutes on the pitch.
More signings are expected before the end of the window but efforts to land Leicester defender Ben Chilwell, Udinese midfielder Piotr Zelinski and Borussia Moenchengladbach's Mahmoud Dahoud are all proving problematic.
The deal he initially signed ran to June 2018 but now, after swift negotiations with FSG, Klopp will be in charge of Liverpool until June 2022. His assistants Zelkjo Buvac and Peter Kraweitz have also committed to similar contracts.
FSG have been ruthless with their managers since they bought club in October 2010, sacking Roy Hodgson, Kenny Dalglish and Brendan Rodgers, but they believe they finally found a man to realise their vision.
The move to get Klopp signed up on one of the biggest contracts ever given to a Liverpool manager was driven by Mike Gordon - FSG's president and the man most involved in the day to day running of the club - but was also fully endorsed by principal owner John W Henry and Chairman Tom Werner.
Klopp, of course, has seen his current £6million per season salary enhanced - thought to be boosted to around £7.5million - but the most important aspect for FSG and the German was the length of the deal.
He is a manager who takes pride in developing young talent and Klopp now has the platform to build a team in his mould, as he did with Mainz and then Borussia Dortmund.
A statement on the club website, attributed to Gordon, Henry and Werner, read:
'When you have an individual of Jürgen's quality in the building it makes perfect sense to secure that person for the long term. To not do so would be irresponsible.
'The overriding motivation behind this decision is Jürgen's commitment to overall improvement and development. In Jürgen we have someone who is always looking ahead, always looking beyond his own wants and needs and putting the club first.
'The ideas and plans he has for the football infrastructure excite us and we believe it benefits the organisation to have Jürgen committed to Liverpool for a sustained period, to make sure he is here to oversee this development.
'By making this commitment to him, we are taking away any future distractions or doubt. We will move forward in partnership together, with confidence in each other and with the club's future at the forefront of every decision.
'He is a world-class managerial talent and his leadership will be critical to everything we hope to achieve in the years ahead.'
Klopp also released a statement on Liverpool's official website:
'It's hard to express in words how honoured myself, Zeljko and Peter feel by the commitment shown in us by the ownership and the club in general.
'We are very much at the beginning of our journey, but to already have the connection we have with this very special place is incredible.
'I am the first to recognise that with this great commitment comes a great responsibility. All of our coaching careers we have looked to make teams and clubs better, with the ultimate goal of making the supporters proud and happy.
'To do this we have to make sure we always put player and team development at the heart of every major decision. It is my job to lead that and ensure every element of the LFC football environment reflects the best practices in the game. It is fantastic that the club's ownership is just as committed to this as we are.
'There is much to do and much to achieve and we look to do this by being the most completely together group anywhere in the world. That's everyone and we all have responsibility for it - all of us who are part of this LFC family: players, staff, ownership and of course the supporters.
'By being together at all times, we will be stronger, better and our successes sweeter.'
'By being together at all times, we will be stronger, better and our successes sweeter.'
Liverpool play their first game of pre-season on Friday evening at Tranmere and new signings defender Joel Matip, goalkeeper Loris Karius and £30million forward Sadio Mane will all get minutes on the pitch.
More signings are expected before the end of the window but efforts to land Leicester defender Ben Chilwell, Udinese midfielder Piotr Zelinski and Borussia Moenchengladbach's Mahmoud Dahoud are all proving problematic.
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