Liverpool ready to spend big to land title, says Klopp
JURGEN KLOPP insists Liverpool are ready to go head-to-head with Manchester United and will not flinch when it comes to spending big this summer. Liverpool are on the strongest footing they have been in many years and Klopp will look for his team to make a statement of intent today at Old Trafford. Whichever team are successful will be hot favourites to finish runners-up to Manchester City. There is a feeling that Liverpool are not too far away from being title challengers and, with the right additions in the next window, the progress that has been made over the past two years will be accelerated. One name on Klopp’s wish list is Napoli midfielder Jorginho, the Brazil-born Italy international, who has also been linked with United. He would command a huge fee but Klopp, who had previously expressed misgivings about big fees, will be ready to spend. ‘I think the transfer fees only jumped in the last year,’ said Klopp. ‘We cannot say the exact numbers but was it £40million for Mo Salah? I would say that’s decent money. This club will do what we have to do; the owners are ready for that but it doesn’t mean we only spend in this (expensive) category.’ Klopp has an excellent strike rate when spending heavily and three of the best examples — Virgil van Dijk (£75m), Salah and Sadio Mane (£30m) — will
form the nucleus of his team in Manchester this lunchtime. Van Dijk has impressed since arriving from Southampton, helping Liverpool keep five clean sheets in the last seven games and Klopp has pointed to the defender as an example of why money should not be an issue if the quality is right. ‘When the player is the right player it is not important how expensive he was,’ said Klopp. ‘He needs to fit in the team, that’s why we paid the price. If the player is the right player, this club will pay big money and let the group grow. ‘We just have to use the skills and the talent and attitude of the boys to be as successful as we can.’ Salah has proven value for money and he will be looking to right the one wrong on his personal list of achievements this season: having scored against Arsenal, Manchester City, Tottenham and Chelsea he wants to complete the set against United. ‘I try to look for a goal in any game I play,’ Salah told Sky Sports. ‘I’m very excited to play in this game because this is the only team in the top six I did not score against. (David) De Gea is a great keeper but I will try to score.’ Meanwhile, England boss Gareth Southgate will be at Old Trafford today to check out Liverpool’s Alex OxladeChamberlain ahead of a possible international recall. Southgate names his squad for this month’s friendlies against Holland and Italy on Thursday.