Sturridge is staying put, insists Klopp
LIVERPOOL boss Jurgen Klopp has responded to talk of Daniel Sturridge leaving Anfield.
The England international was offered to Newcastle United for the second time this year by his agent but Klopp has now played down suggestions he has to leave.
When asked about Sturridge – who played for the Reds in a0-0 draw with Bury over the weekend – Klopp said: “That is funny – it is my third pre-season here and every year we talk about the same things, and Sturridge always had a future, not a problem!
“I always said there is always a future, it is about what we do in the moment. In this moment, all good, but we don’t have to make decisions now in this situation, that is how it is.
“In this moment, I don’t think like this about my players.
“It is not that I think ‘maybe he is in or he is not in’ with these guys.”
Another player linked with Newcastle in the last 12 months, Divock Origi, has also returned to Liverpool after a loan move to Wolfsburg last season while Danny Ings has turned down United twice in the past two years. Klopp added: “I wanted us to score, I don’t like a few situations - first half with Divock when maybe he can pass the ball for an easy goal.
“It is the part of the season when players try to impress me but I have told them already: ‘You impress me not by scoring any goal - if you see someone in a better position then that impresses me much more’.
“Making the right decisions when you are really tired, when it is really warm and the ball is not really rolling is very difficult. I knew that before and that is what we saw today.”
Speaking about potential loan deals – with Origi’s name thought to be on Newcastle’s radar again – Klopp said: “With the young ones, yes we have to make these decisions - but not with the others.
“They show up and then it is for me it should be easy at the end to make a decision.
“Until then (the end of the transfer window) we have to make decisions but it is still wide open, right? It is closing tomorrow? No, good.”