RB Leipzig captain David Raum was left out of Germany's 24-man squad for Nations League matches against Serbia and the Netherlands in mid-November, while his future at the club was reported to be in doubt.
Bild reports Klopp's criticism
According to Bild, Klopp criticised Raum's defensive work in a phone call explaining his omission and preferred Nathaniel Brown and Maximilian Mittelstädt to the 28-year-old.
It was the first time in more than three years that Raum had missed out on the Germany squad for purely sporting reasons. A persistent ankle injury kept him out of the Germany squad in October 2024.
Klopp keeps the door open
When naming his squad, Klopp said he had not closed the door on Raum or other high-profile omissions, including Karim Adeyemi and Nick Woltemade: “Good heavens, we'd be crazy to close any doors”.
Raum's Leipzig situation
Raum is RB Leipzig's captain, and his only absence from the starting line-up came in the 4-0 win over SV Elversberg, when he spent 90 minutes on the bench. His contract with RB Leipzig expires next summer.
Asked about contract talks with RB Leipzig, Raum said: “I don't know how many more contracts will come my way. I actually feel quite good. I'm still keen to play for a few more years, even though I'm approaching 30 now.”
He added: “Naturally, I also involve my wife in the discussions: where could we go, or do we stay here?”
Raum said discussions with RB Leipzig had only started to get going a little in October and that they were not having intensive discussions.
Reported interest
Sport linked Raum with Barcelona, while Gazzetta dello Sport reported that Juventus had shown interest in him.
