Pep Guardiola has issued verdict on Jurgen Klopp amid new Liverpool contract

Liverpool have welcomed a huge boost following the announcement of Jurgen Klopp’s new contract extension.

Although already tied down until 2024, there was some doubt around Klopp’s long-term future at the club.

But following a Champions League semi-final first leg win over Villarreal, and with the quadruple still on, Klopp has put pen-to-paper on a two-year extension to keep him in place until 2026.

It’s a huge boost for Liverpool, but it’s bad news for the rest of the Premier League, and likely Pep Guardiola as well, with Manchester City and the Reds continuing to battle it out at the very top of world football.

Though, Guardiola has been complimentary of Klopp and Liverpool over recent weeks amid some very interesting ties between the two teams.

Speaking after the 2-2 draw in the Premier League earlier this month, Guardiola said: “I don’t know if Jurgen respects me but I respect him a lot.

“He makes me a better manager... his teams are positive, aggressive and they want to attack. I try to imitate him.

“We aren’t friends, we don’t have dinner together, we will have dinner one day in the hall of fame, I have his telephone number but I don’t call him. I have a lot of respect for him and he knows next Saturday, we’ll try to beat him.”

Iron sharpens iron, as they say, and Klopp and Guardiola have certainly had that impact on each other over recent years.

Liverpool and City are once again battling it out at the very top of the Premier League, and they could yet meet in the Champions League final.

The two sides take advantages into their respective semi-final second legs, and Klopp will have to get past Guardiola if he wants to secure that famous quadruple.