Germany's Goalkeeping Future: Matthäus Names Top Candidates

Lothar Matthäus has never been shy about an opinion, and on Germany’s goalkeeping future he is crystal clear: the battle to succeed Manuel Neuer has already begun.

In his Sky column, the record international named four leading candidates, with one familiar name at the top of the list. Marc-André ter Stegen, now at Ajax, is back in the frame after Neuer’s latest retirement from the national team. Matthäus is convinced the 34-year-old will not just be part of the conversation – he will be in the squad.

“He will definitely be involved,” Matthäus said, before underlining the stakes. If ter Stegen maintains his level in Amsterdam, he is “a candidate for the number one spot in the Germany goal.”

Urbig the long-term project

Short term, the shirt is up for grabs. Long term, Matthäus sees only one man.

For him, Bayern Munich’s Jonas Urbig is the future of the position. Neuer’s current understudy is expected to spend this season learning in what is likely to be the veteran’s final year at the top. Matthäus believes the DFB cannot afford to waste that time.

Germany, he argued, must “build up” Urbig so the country goes into upcoming tournaments with a clearly defined first-choice goalkeeper. The reasoning is simple: age and runway. Urbig is the one who, in Matthäus’ eyes, can span the most tournaments and anchor a new era.

He did not stop there. Schalke 04’s Loris Karius and Eintracht Frankfurt’s Noah Atubolu also made his shortlist, underlining just how crowded the race has become.

Overall, Matthäus estimates seven or eight keepers are genuinely in contention for a call-up. Alongside his main quartet, Alexander Nübel (Besiktas), Finn Dahmen (Augsburg), Mio Backhaus (Freiburg) and Oliver Baumann (Hoffenheim) have all been mentioned around the DFB in recent weeks. Baumann, though, will not be part of Jürgen Klopp’s plans, according to Bild.

“A good chance” for Karius

One name carries more emotional weight than most. For Matthäus, Karius has “a good chance” of being included if Klopp selects on pure form.

Last season the 33-year-old was outstanding for Schalke, driving their promotion charge and rebuilding a reputation that once seemed broken beyond repair. Even after stepping back into the Bundesliga, he has held his level. The 0-0 draw against Bayern Munich this season served as another reminder of his quality and resilience.

For Matthäus, the story at Liverpool under Klopp should not define him. “The past he experienced with Klopp in Liverpool should remain in the drawer,” he insisted, a pointed reference to the night that changed everything.

Karius had been Klopp’s regular goalkeeper at Anfield until the 2018 Champions League final against Real Madrid, when a pair of high-profile errors effectively cost Liverpool the trophy and shattered the keeper’s standing. Loans to Besiktas and Union Berlin followed. In 2022, he left Liverpool on a free and disappeared from the elite radar.

His time in Istanbul also frayed his relationship with Klopp, according to kicker, and the two never worked together again. Then came the turning point. In January 2025, Karius joined Schalke. It has proved a stroke of luck for all sides: a club in need of a steady hand, and a goalkeeper desperate for a second act.

Now, with Klopp taking over the national team, the reunion that once seemed unthinkable suddenly sits on the table.

Ter Stegen’s unfinished Germany story

Ter Stegen’s international story is different, but no less complicated.

For years he lived in Neuer’s shadow, the eternal number two. Injuries arrived at the worst possible moments. Despite his status as one of Europe’s top keepers, he never started a major tournament as Germany’s first choice.

He was even pencilled in as the main man for the 2026 World Cup, only for Neuer to reverse his DFB retirement and reclaim the shirt. Then ter Stegen’s body failed him again. Fitness issues cost him his rhythm at Barcelona and pushed him down the pecking order at club level.

A lengthy saga, back surgery and a loan move to Girona followed. A thigh injury there stalled his momentum yet again. In the summer he moved on loan to Ajax until the end of the season, a fresh start in a new environment.

The numbers so far are mixed. Seven matches, 11 goals conceded, and an error in the Conference League play-offs on the ledger. His Barcelona contract runs until 2028, but his future there is effectively over. For ter Stegen, any return to the Germany goal now probably comes with a clear condition: he will want the job as an undisputed starter, not as a veteran backup.

Klopp’s first list – and a looming decision

Klopp’s reign with Germany will begin with an away trip to the Netherlands in the Nations League. Reports suggest he is considering an XXL squad for the opening international window, a broad canvas on which to sketch his first ideas.

After the Dutch test, two games against Greece and a home match against Serbia complete a four-game block that will shape early impressions of his tenure.

Somewhere in that stretch, Klopp must make a choice that will echo through the next cycle: does he lean on ter Stegen’s experience, accelerate Urbig’s rise, reward Karius’ revival, or open the door to a new name entirely?

For a country that once took its number one for granted, Germany suddenly stands at a crossroads in goal.