The tug-of-war for the 23-year-old is over, and it was Klopp himself who ended it.
Ebnoutalib, eligible for both Germany and Morocco, told German tabloid Bild there had been serious talks with the Moroccan Football Federation before the Germany head coach picked up the phone.
“There were talks with Morocco. But when Jürgen Klopp calls, you can’t say no,” the striker said.
Ebnoutalib was born in Frankfurt in 2003 and is of Moroccan descent, having previously been called up to Morocco’s under-15 side in 2018. Earlier this month, Klopp made a personal trip to Eintracht Frankfurt for a lengthy conversation with the player, according to Goal.com.
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The striker was then named in Klopp’s expanded 44-man Germany squad, one of 16 uncapped players the new head coach called up for his first international window, which opens on Thursday away to the Netherlands in the UEFA Nations League.
From the fourth tier to Klopp’s squad
A little over a year ago, Ebnoutalib was scoring in Germany’s fourth tier for FC Gießen. He moved to 2. Bundesliga side SV Elversberg in January 2025, finished the Hinrunde as the division’s top scorer with 12 goals in 17 games, and joined Eintracht Frankfurt in January 2026.
His breakthrough came on the opening weekend of this Bundesliga season. Ebnoutalib scored a hat-trick in Frankfurt’s 3-3 draw with Union Berlin, and now has three goals and one assist in three top-flight matches. He added another goal in Frankfurt’s record 11-0 DFB Cup rout of SC St. Tönis.
Klopp is looking for a proper No. 9, someone in the Miroslav Klose mould. Ebnoutalib’s aerial threat, physical presence and ability to play with his back to goal fit the profile.
Klopp’s message to the room
Klopp delivered his first speech to his new squad on Monday. Ebnoutalib, speaking the day after, described the mood as one of belief.
“The meeting was very, very positive. He simply explained to us what he expects from us.”
The core of Klopp’s message, the striker told Bild, was that the players should represent Germany with pride and give everything, even when things did not immediately click on the pitch.
Klopp took the Germany job in late July, after Julian Nagelsmann stepped down following a shock round-of-32 exit to Paraguay at the 2026 World Cup in North America. His contract runs to 2030.
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Germany kick off that project against the Netherlands at the Johan Cruijff ArenA in Amsterdam on Thursday, where Klopp will meet newly appointed Dutch head coach Xavi Hernández in the opposing dugout. Ebnoutalib is in the squad and could earn his first Germany cap.
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