Jurgen Klopp had steered his Opel Insignia past the vast walls of the sprawling Ince Blundell Estate beside Formby’s bypass last autumn when he realised he needed to have a conversation with his wife, Ulla.



Earlier that day, Klopp had been in Kirkby — the site of Liverpool’s new training ground, which is expected to open this summer.



He had seen the outstanding facilities, the close proximity to the club’s youth academy a little further up Arbour Lane and Anfield’s main stand shimmering in the distance, recognising that he had helped establish a visible, practical and emotional connection between three significant locations. Then he looked at the open shell where his office will be and imagined someone else looking out at the view, directing operations from a space created at his command.



Klopp had told Liverpool’s owners in 2016 that a new training facility was a priority.



Fenway Sports Group (FSG) had already...