Jurgen Klopp is on the same level as Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger, claims Mark Lawrenson… but which Reds legend does he insist is ‘greater than him’?

Mark Lawrenson has heaped praise on Jurgen Klopp and backed the German to be honoured with a statue outside Anfield.

Klopp shocked the footballing world last Friday when he announced his intention to depart Liverpool at the end of the season, claiming that he is ‘running out of energy’.

Klopp’s decision comes with the Reds in the midst of a stunning campaign where they remain in all four competitions, while they sit top of the Premier League.

And Liverpool legend Lawrenson, who won 13 trophies with the Reds over a seven-year spell that encompassed 356 appearances, felt Klopp was on the same level as some of the greatest managers of all-time, as he hailed his longevity at the club.

‘Jurgen Klopp is up there with Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger,’ Lawrenson said when speaking to Paddy Power. 

Lawrenson also insisted the German – who will depart in the summer – deserves a statue

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‘Nine years ago, when you took the job, if someone said that he would still be there after nine years, you would’ve said no chance – it’s the Premier League. 

‘At the top, if you lose three or four games, your P45 arrives with your next pay slip.’

Alongside Klopp, Liverpool have been blessed with several legendary managers over the years, including the likes of Bill Shankly, Kenny Dalglish and Bob Paisley.

And Lawrenson felt Klopp was again up there with that trio, but chose one former Reds coach ahead of him.

‘He’s been a different kind of manager, but I’d put him alongside Bill Shankly, Kenny Dalglish and Bob Paisley,’ he added.

‘He’ll get a statue – he is some manager. (But) I don’t think Jürgen Klopp will go down as greater than Kenny Dalglish – there’s a reason why he’s called King Kenny. 

‘Klopp has earned the right to decide when he leaves, and I think this is a really great way of doing it. 

‘FSG have known since November, so behind the scenes they’ll have a few people lined up to take the job. It’s strange – but people are getting used to it.’

Lawrenson said Klopp was up there with the likes of Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger

However, he claimed the German won’t go down as ‘greater than’ Reds icon Sir Kenny Dalglish

Lawrenson’s latest comments on Klopp come after he last week revealed the 56-year-old’s next move at the end of the season.

‘I’m not sure I should tell you this but it’s not a massive secret. He’s having a house built in Mallorca,’ Lawrenson told Off the Ball.

‘I have a house somewhere not far away from where he’s building his, and I saw him the other month, and I just said to him after the game “how’s the house going on?” 

‘And Ulla, his wife, is in charge of everything in terms of that, and he just said “the bloody thing’s not even ready yet, and I’m paying all the bills!” So he’s probably going to retreat to there for a while, I would suggest.’

Klopp purchased the home in Mallorca in June 2022 for €4m (£3.4m) from Swiss businessman and artist Rolf Knie.

It is a 5,000-square metre property, and Klopp decided to completely rebuild it, but it is still not finished.

It is understood that Klopp stays at a nearby hotel when he visits the island, but that is set to change when the redevelopment is complete.

While progress on the house has not been swift, Lawrenson insisted it will be well worth the wait.

Lawrenson’s latest comments on Klopp come after he last week revealed the 56-year-old is building a £3.4m house in Mallorca (pictured) where he plans to retreat with his wife Ulla 

Klopp’s wife Ulla has been an influential voice during key moments in his career 

Klopp, pictured with Ulla and their dog Emma in 2013. Klopp met Ulla in 2005

‘I can tell you now, it’s not a nice gaff, it’s an absolutely fabulous gaff. It’s sensational, it really seriously is,’ Lawrenson added.

Speaking on his future at a press conference last week, Klopp stated that he wanted to try and live a ‘normal life’ when he departs Liverpool, and insisted he would not return to the dugout for at least a year.

‘I have never lived a (normal) life. That is true,’ he said. ‘Having three or four weeks in the summer was enough, but not any more.

‘No club, no country for the next year, no other English club ever, I can promise that. Even if I have nothing to eat, it will not happen.’