Germany’s Goalkeeping Future: Matthäus Maps Out Klopp's No.1

Lothar Matthäus has drawn up his early blueprint for Germany’s goalkeeping future – and it stretches well beyond the final chapter of Manuel Neuer.

In his Sky column, the record international highlighted four names who could shape the new era under Jürgen Klopp. At the top of that list sits Marc-André ter Stegen, now at Ajax, a keeper Matthäus believes will be firmly in the frame once Neuer steps away again.

Matthäus is convinced ter Stegen “will definitely be involved” under Klopp. The message is clear: if the 34-year-old maintains his level in Amsterdam, he is a live contender to finally wear the No.1 shirt for Germany on a permanent basis. After years in Neuer’s shadow and a career repeatedly interrupted by injuries, ter Stegen may yet get one last shot – but only, Matthäus suggests, if it comes with a guarantee of being first choice.

Urbig the long-term project

Matthäus is not just thinking about the next tournament. He is looking at the next decade.

For him, Bayern Munich’s Jonas Urbig is the man who should be groomed as Germany’s future undisputed No.1. Currently Neuer’s understudy in what is widely expected to be the veteran’s final season, Urbig is the long-term project in Matthäus’ eyes.

The DFB, he argued, must “build up” the Bayern keeper so that Germany arrive at future tournaments with a clear hierarchy in goal. Age is on Urbig’s side, and Matthäus sees him as the one who can span the most tournaments and anchor the position for years.

Alongside ter Stegen and Urbig, Matthäus also name-checked Schalke 04’s Loris Karius and Eintracht Frankfurt’s Noah Atubolu as serious options for Klopp’s first squads.

A crowded queue behind Neuer

The competition does not end there. Matthäus estimates that seven or eight goalkeepers are realistically in contention for a call-up as Klopp weighs up his first Germany list.

Beyond his chosen quartet, Alexander Nübel (Besiktas), Finn Dahmen (Augsburg), Mio Backhaus (Freiburg) and Oliver Baumann (Hoffenheim) have all been linked with the national team picture in recent weeks. Baumann, though, will not be nominated by Klopp, according to Bild, which narrows the field slightly but underlines how many keepers are circling around the squad.

Klopp is reportedly considering an oversized, “XXL” group for the start of his reign, and the goalkeeping battle could be one of the most intriguing subplots.

Karius and Klopp: past in the “drawer”, future wide open

Of all the names, Karius is perhaps the most emotionally loaded – and the one Matthäus believes is best placed on pure form.

“Karius, above all, has a good chance,” Matthäus argued, pointing to the 33-year-old’s outstanding season for Schalke. Karius played a central role in their promotion, and his performances have held up in the Bundesliga, including a clean sheet in the 0-0 draw against Bayern Munich that showcased his renewed authority.

For Matthäus, the story that once defined Karius should no longer dictate his future. “The past he experienced with Klopp in Liverpool should remain in the drawer,” he said, a direct reference to the 2018 Champions League final that derailed the keeper’s career.

Back then, Karius was Klopp’s first-choice goalkeeper at Liverpool. Two major errors against Real Madrid cost his team the trophy and shattered his confidence. Loans to Besiktas and Union Berlin followed. By 2022, he left Liverpool on a free, his relationship with Klopp having cooled during his spell in Istanbul, as reported by kicker. He never played for Klopp again.

The move to Schalke in January 2025 has changed that narrative. It has been a stroke of luck for club and player, and now potentially for country. If Klopp truly picks on current form, Karius is right back in the conversation.

Ter Stegen’s unfinished Germany story

Ter Stegen’s case is different. His Germany story has always felt incomplete.

Despite his status as one of Europe’s top keepers for long stretches of his Barcelona career, he has never started a major tournament as Germany’s No.1. Neuer’s dominance, combined with ter Stegen’s recurring injuries, kept him locked in the role of deputy.

He had even been earmarked as first choice for the 2026 World Cup when Neuer briefly stepped away from international duty. Then Neuer returned from DFB retirement. Ter Stegen’s body betrayed him again, and the window slammed shut.

Injuries then spilled into his club career. He lost ground at Barcelona, dropped down the pecking order and eventually needed back surgery. A winter loan to Girona offered a fresh start, but a thigh problem disrupted that spell as well. This summer, he moved on loan to Ajax until the end of the season, chasing rhythm and relevance.

The numbers so far are mixed. Across seven matches for Ajax, ter Stegen has conceded 11 goals and made a costly error in the Conference League play-offs. His Barcelona contract runs until 2028, but his future there is effectively over. For him, a Germany recall under Klopp would likely only make sense if it comes with a clear promise: the gloves as first choice.

Klopp’s first tests

Klopp’s reign will begin with a demanding away trip to the Netherlands in the Nations League, a stage that rarely forgives uncertainty at the back. That opener is followed by two games against Greece and a home fixture against Serbia, rounding off a four-match block in which the new national coach can stress-test his ideas.

Somewhere in that stretch, a new hierarchy in goal must start to emerge.

Does Klopp turn back to ter Stegen and finally give him the tournament platform he has chased for a decade? Does he reward Karius for his Schalke revival and put their shared Liverpool history behind them? Or does he fast-track the future with Urbig and Atubolu, building the next generation from day one?

For the first time in years, Germany’s No.1 shirt is not just a position. It is a battle line for the Klopp era.