SWEEPING CHANGES
Klopp said spending big on one player like Pogba was a risk that could go ’through the chimney..’ now he claims it’s market that has altered, not his principles
JURGEN KLOPP has defended signing Virgil van Dijk for a record £75million, as he is accused of hypocrisy by Jose Mourinho.
Mourinho remembers how Klopp scoffed at Manchester United splashing out a then world-record £89million on Paul Pogba in August 2016, claiming he would act “differently”.
The United boss has reminded Klopp of his high moral stance, after Liverpool paid a world-record fee for a defender to land Van Dijk (right) from Southampton.
“I think the one to speak about it in a specific way has to be Jurgen,” said Mourinho.
Klopp claimed after the Pogba signing: “Other clubs can go out and spend more money and collect top players, yes.
“But if you bring one player in for £100m or whatever, and he gets injured, then it all goes through the chimney.
“I want to do it differently. I would even do it differently if I could spend that money.
“I want a special team spirit – I don’t feel it is necessary.”
But yesterday he insisted the transfer market had been inflated by Neymar’s world-record £200m transfer to Paris Saint-Germain in the summer and that Liverpool paid the going rate for Van Dijk.
“Half-a-year ago, there was a big transfer for an offensive player, and now we have a big transfer for a defensive player, for a third of it,” said the Anfield boss. “It’s not nice, but that’s the market and the way the world is.
“The last half-year pretty much changed everything and we cannot change that.
“Not every club would be able to do it, but a lot of clubs are, and will do it in the future. It’s all about how the market is, the need and the opportunity.
“You get the price and you have to accept it or not. It’s a big change in football and, yeah, we have to adapt to it. That’s how it is.”
Liverpool have spent months searching for a top-quality centre-half and Klopp claims similar players would have been even more expensive than Van Dijk.
“At this moment, there are a lot of interesting centre-halves that have clauses,” he said. “There is not one with a lower clause. That is the case.
“We had an opportunity to do it and that is why he will be an LFC player.
“Do I like it? No, because it puts more pressure on everything. That’s why I said as a Liverpool community we have to ignore it immediately.”
Klopp believes Van Dijk, 26, has every attribute required in a top-class central defender.
“You need a lot of things,” added the German. “Heading, speed, awareness are all very important things. I think he combines a lot, pretty much everything.”
Speaking about clubs spending big on players in July 2016, Klopp said: “Other clubs can go out and spend more money and collect top players, yes.
But if you bring one player in for £100million or whatever, and he gets injured, then it all goes through the chimney.
Do I have to do it differently to that? Actually, I want to do it differently. I would even do it differently if I could spend that money”