Jurgen Klopp may have opened the door to the possibility of an extended stay at Liverpool with his comments during the pre-Arsenal press conference.
The German refused to be drawn into giving a specific answer about the possibility of a contract extension, insisting that the end of his Anfield tenure was ‘far away from being over’.
“No other manager gets asked that often about things that happen in two and a half years, or three years, or four years,” the German told reporters.
“I didn’t think about it until you asked me now, I don’t want to think now about it. It’s all fine how it is.
“It’s over when it’s over but it’s far away from being over, so let’s focus on that.”
The former Mainz boss’ current terms are set to expire in 2024, raising speculation as to who replace the 54-year-old in the club’s hotseat in the future.
There’s been a consistent refusal from Klopp to precisely define the endpoint of his managerial career in Merseyside, though much has been made of the sabbatical year the coach is considered likely to take come the end of his contract.
It’s not clear if this would mean a permanent goodbye to the man who brought the title back to Liverpool, however, with the idea of a brief break from the club having been touted by some.
Given the special nature of the project the former Borussia Dortmund head coach has invested himself in since 2015, one might argue that he’d find it difficult to call it quits, even after nine seasons at the Anfield helm.