Buoyant Klopp to push for new men

LIVERPOOL MANAGER: THE RESULT IS A BIG INFLUENCE Hoffenheim boss says his side played like headless chickens.

Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp voiced hope that guiding his team back into the Champions League will strengthen his hand in transfer talks over the last week of the trading window.

Liverpool secured a place in the group stage for only the second time since 2010 after a 4-2 home win over Hoffenheim on Wednesday completed a 6-3 aggregate victory in the play-off round.

Klopp has only managed to bring in Mohamed Salah, Andy Robertson and Dominic Solanke in the transfer window so far and he suggested that number might increase now.

“It’s a big influence on the transfer market, especially if you do it more often,” Klopp told reporters at Anfield.

Appointed in October 2015, Klopp was unable to steer Liverpool into the Champions League in his first season as they finished eighth in the Premier League, but a fourth-place finish last term opened the door to a return.

Leading 2-1 from the first leg, Liverpool flew out of the blocks, scoring three times in the opening 21 minutes through an Emre Can brace and a Salah effort.

“The start of the game was like a thunderstorm,” Klopp said.

Klopp hailed Can for overcoming the effects of illness to play and reserved special praise for Roberto Firmino, who created Can’s second goal and scored Liverpool’s fourth against his former club.

Hoffenheim coach Julian Nagelsmann, who is only 30, delivered a critical assessment of his team’s display, saying they had played like “headless chickens”.

Hoffenheim are playing in Europe for the first time in their history and will now drop into the Europa League.

“This is a disappointment that will last for a bit, of course,” said Nagelsmann, whose side scored through substitute Mark Uth and Sandro Wagner.

“We need to develop and be better than we played today. It doesn’t help thinking about a past game. You can’t change anything now.

“We should use the Europa League as an opportunity to become more mature, to develop and hopefully we’ll meet teams that will help us do that.” –

Picture: Getty Images EYEING SIGNINGS. Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp plans to use his side’s Champions League qualification as a bargaining tool in his bid to bring in more players.