Real Madrid Line Up Klopp and Haaland as Long-Term Bernabeu Project
Real Madrid are drawing up ambitious plans for the summer of 2026, with Jurgen Klopp and Erling Haaland identified as potential cornerstones of a major reset at the Bernabeu following a turbulent period on and off the pitch.
Los Blancos recently parted ways with head coach Xabi Alonso and have endured repeated setbacks against Barcelona, prompting president Florentino Perez to accelerate plans for a new era built around elite leadership and global star power.
According to Sky Sports Deutschland, Perez is once again turning to his famed Galacticos strategy, seeking figures capable of transforming both performance and perception. With Madrid chasing domestic and European dominance, the club views the next two seasons as decisive for restoring long-term authority.
Alvaro Arbeloa has been placed in interim charge of first-team affairs, providing short-term stability while Madrid’s hierarchy evaluates permanent options. Internally, discussions have already begun around Klopp, who stepped away from Liverpool in 2024 and currently serves as Global Head of Soccer for Red Bull.
Klopp has publicly played down links to Madrid, noting that while he received messages after Alonso’s dismissal, no direct contact came from Spain. He expressed surprise at the timing of the decision, particularly after a Copa del Rey final defeat to Barcelona, but stressed it did not prompt any return plans.
Despite that stance, Sky reports that Madrid hold a strong appeal for the 58-year-old and believe he would seriously consider an offer if presented with a clear long-term project and full backing. Other names, including Enzo Maresca and Zinedine Zidane, remain in the frame, though Zidane’s relationship with Perez is said to be strained.
Alongside managerial planning, Perez is also targeting a blockbuster move for Manchester City striker Erling Haaland. Madrid remain in regular contact with the Norwegian’s agent, Rafaela Pimenta, and are monitoring conditions for a possible approach as early as this summer.
Haaland, under contract at City until 2034, would command an extraordinary financial package. Sky estimates a deal could exceed €500 million, with the potential sale of Vinicius Junior considered as one route to funding the move amid interest from the Saudi Pro League.
Whether Madrid can realistically secure Klopp and Haaland remains uncertain, but the intent is clear. Perez is preparing another bold chapter in the club’s modern history, one aimed at redefining power at the Bernabeu and reasserting Real Madrid’s dominance at the very top of world football.