This article is more than 4 years old

This article is more than 4 years old

Jürgen Klopp “eats, lives, breathes and thinks football”, and would make a “fantastic” coach for Liverpool, according to Borussia Dortmund’s Mats Hummels.

Klopp, the two-times Bundesliga title winner, is close to replacing Brendan Rodgers as Liverpool’s manager, with the 48-year-old expected on Merseyside on Thursday to finalise the terms of a three-year contract worth around £5m-a-year.

Asked about the prospect of his former manager moving to Anfield, the Dortmund captain said Klopp would be a perfect fit.

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“There’s no doubt he’s a fantastic coach and when people put their mind to the question of ‘what does he do post-Dortmund?’ then clubs like Liverpool naturally come into the equation,” said Hummels, speaking before Germany’s Euro 2016 qualifier against the Republic of Ireland in Dublin.

“He eats, lives, breathes and thinks football day after day and is a fantastic addition to any team. I’ll keep my fingers crossed for him in his next venture.”

The Germany coach, Joachim Löw, added: “I’m not really party to the negotiations but I do know talks are taking place. He’s had a fantastic, extraordinary time in Dortmund and created lots of emotions among the supporters.

“Looking from afar, there are comparisons you can make between Dortmund and Liverpool in terms of the supporter culture of both clubs. If they can work it out, he can be a great addition to any team.”

Speaking on Tuesday, Franz Beckenbauer, who has worked alongside Klopp as a pundit on German television, said: “He is one of the best coaches I know in the whole world … If Liverpool has the chance to sign Jürgen Klopp, then they should do it. He likes to talk. There are not many coaches left in the world that like to talk so much to the players but he is one of them.”