A managerial legend has finally returned to the touchline, and Manchester United have handed a first taste of senior football to one of their most exciting young prospects. Here’s everything from the last few days worth catching up on.

Klopp Is Back — as Germany’s New Head Coach

Jurgen Klopp has been confirmed as Germany’s new head coach, ending a two-year break from football management and marking his first job since leaving Liverpool in 2024. The deal runs through the end of the 2030 World Cup, giving Klopp a long runway to try to rebuild a national team currently at a low ebb.

The timing lines up with Germany’s struggles at this summer’s World Cup, where they were knocked out in the round of 32 by Paraguay, prompting Julian Nagelsmann’s resignation as head coach. Klopp, who had been serving as Red Bull’s global head of soccer since leaving Anfield, will now try to do for his home country what he famously did for Liverpool: turn a proud but underperforming side back into genuine contenders.

He won’t be doing it alone, either. Klopp is bringing former Liverpool assistants Pep Lijnders and Peter Krawietz into his coaching setup, while ex-Arsenal defender Per Mertesacker is set to become the German Football Federation’s new sporting director from January. Klopp’s first match in charge comes in September, fittingly against the Netherlands, who are captained by his former Liverpool centre-back Virgil van Dijk.

For Premier League fans, the appointment closes the door on any lingering hope of a Klopp return to English football any time soon, but it sets up a fascinating subplot: several of his old Liverpool players, including van Dijk, will now be facing their former boss on the international stage.

Man Utd Name 15-Year-Old for Tour

Manchester United have given fans a genuine glimpse of the future, naming 15-year-old forward JJ Gabriel in the club’s senior squad for a preseason friendly against Rosenborg in Trondheim, part of the travelling party of 25 players.

Gabriel arrives with serious pedigree for his age, having been named Under-18 Premier League Player of the Season last campaign despite starting the year playing below his age group. Getting a squad number and preseason minutes this early is a strong signal from the club about how highly he’s rated internally, even if first-team involvement remains a long-term project rather than an immediate expectation.

It’s the kind of story that tends to generate outsized excitement relative to the actual football involved, and understandably so; fans always enjoy discovering a new academy talent before the rest of the football world catches on.

Also in the Briefing

Andy Robertson has already settled into life among his new Tottenham teammates, with James Maddison emerging as his closest friend in the squad after the pair were pictured together on Spurs’ preseason travels, including a lengthy flight to New Zealand that led to some good-natured ribbing between the two.