Lothar Matthäus has drawn up his early blueprint for Germany’s post-Manuel Neuer future – and it is anything but straightforward.
In his Sky column, the record international highlighted four names for Jürgen Klopp’s first Germany squads, with one clear headline: Marc-André ter Stegen is back in the frame, but not alone.
The 34-year-old, now on loan at Ajax, is one of the leading contenders to succeed Neuer, who has once again stepped away from the national team. Matthäus is convinced the former Barcelona keeper will be in the conversation, saying he is “definitely” expecting ter Stegen to be involved and stressing that if he maintains his level in Amsterdam, he is a serious candidate for the number one shirt.
Ter Stegen’s case is complicated. His Germany story has been one long wait. Years behind Neuer. Years interrupted by injuries. He has never started a major tournament as first choice, despite once being pencilled in as the main man for the 2026 World Cup before Neuer reversed his DFB retirement.
Then came another physical breakdown. That slump cost him his place at Barcelona, triggered back surgery, a loan to Girona, and another setback with a thigh injury. Only this summer did he get a fresh start, heading to Ajax on loan until the end of the season.
Seven games, 11 goals conceded, one costly mistake in the Conference League play-offs: the numbers are mixed, but the door is not shut.
His Barcelona contract runs to 2028, even though his future there is effectively over. Any new chapter with Germany would likely need one guarantee – a genuine shot at being undisputed first choice. After a career spent in Neuer’s shadow, he will not return just to sit on the bench again.
Urbig the long-term bet
Matthäus, though, is already thinking beyond ter Stegen. For him, the long-term project is Jonas Urbig at Bayern Munich.
Urbig is currently Neuer’s understudy in what is expected to be the veteran’s final season. Matthäus believes the DFB must “build up” the Bayern keeper so that Germany walk into future tournaments with a clearly defined number one. Age is on his side; in Matthäus’ eyes, Urbig is the one who can cover the most tournaments across the next decade.
It is a strategic view rather than a romantic one. Neuer’s era is closing. Germany cannot drift into a revolving-door situation between the posts. Urbig, in Matthäus’ mind, offers continuity.
Karius back in the spotlight
If the future has a Bayern tint, the present, Matthäus insists, might belong to a goalkeeper many had written off at the highest level: Loris Karius.
“Karius has a good chance,” Matthäus argued, if Klopp bases his first selections squarely on form. The Schalke 04 keeper, now 33, played a central role in the club’s promotion push last season and has carried that level into the Bundesliga, notably in a clean sheet against Bayern Munich in a 0-0 draw that underlined his resurgence.
The weight of his past with Klopp is impossible to ignore, but Matthäus is clear: the Champions League final in 2018 – the errors against Real Madrid, the night that seemed to shatter his Liverpool career – should “remain in the drawer.”
The story since then has been messy. Loans to Besiktas and Union Berlin. A free transfer exit from Liverpool in 2022. Reports from kicker that his relationship with Klopp cooled during his time in Istanbul, contributing to the fact he never played for Liverpool again under the German coach.
Then, in January 2025, came Schalke. A move that looked modest on paper but has proved a stroke of luck for both club and player. Regular football, a clear role, and finally, performances strong enough to drag him back into the national-team debate.
Now the twist: the man whose trust he lost at Liverpool is the man who could hand him an international lifeline.
A crowded field for Klopp’s first squad
Karius is not alone in chasing that opportunity. Matthäus estimates that seven or eight goalkeepers are in realistic contention for a call-up as Klopp prepares for his first games in charge.
Alongside ter Stegen, Urbig and Karius, he namechecks Eintracht Frankfurt’s Noah Atubolu as another serious option. Around that core group, a second ring of candidates has emerged: Alexander Nübel, currently at Besiktas, Finn Dahmen of Augsburg, Mio Backhaus at Freiburg and Hoffenheim’s Oliver Baumann have all been linked with the new era.
Not everyone will survive the cut. According to Bild, Baumann will not be nominated by Klopp, which underlines how ruthless and specific this selection process is likely to be. The shirt is up for grabs, but not for everyone.
Klopp’s first tests
Klopp’s reign with Germany begins with a demanding away trip to the Netherlands in the Nations League. It is expected that he will name an oversized, “XXL” squad for his opening camp, a clear sign that he wants to see as many candidates as possible up close, particularly in goal.
The schedule is tight and revealing: four matches – the opener in the Netherlands, two meetings with Greece, and a home game against Serbia. Enough minutes to test different keepers. Not enough to hide.
Somewhere in that window, Klopp must start shaping a new hierarchy. Does he lean on ter Stegen for experience and short-term stability? Does he fast-track Urbig as the face of the next generation? Does he reward Karius for his rebirth at Schalke and confront their shared past head-on? Or does a quieter name like Atubolu force his way through?
Germany have spent a decade knowing exactly who stood in goal. Now, for the first time in years, the question is wide open – and Klopp’s answer will define far more than just his first squad list.
