Klopp: I will splash cash to win again
LIVERPOOL manager Jurgen Klopp has assured the club’s supporters that he doesn’t have to balance the books in the next transfer window and that he plans to strengthen at Anfield.
Klopp’s first summer window was noteworthy because Liverpool were one of the few clubs to turn in a transfer profit.
The signings of six players, including Sadio Mane and Georginio Wijnaldum, were more than offset by fees for 10 departures such as Christian Benteke and Joe Allen.
In the circumstances, Liverpool have done well to continue chasing a top-four place and go into today’s home game against Burnley ahead of Manchester United, who paid a world-record £89million for Paul Pogba at the same time.
Liverpool’s American owners had spent heavily during Brendan Rodgers’ time and there were fears after last summer that Klopp was being restricted. Certainly the squad’s lack of strength in depth was underlined when injuries to Jordan Henderson, Dejan Lovren and Philippe Coutinho saw their form tail off at the start of 2017.
But the German is keen to state that that wasn’t the case and that he is already outlining where to strengthen in the summer.
Liverpool have been linked with Arsenal’s Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Leipzig midfielder Naby Keita, Borussia Dortmund striker PierreEmerick Aubameyang, Athletic Bilbao playmaker Inaki Williams and Celtic’s Moussa Dembele.
‘We know what we need to do,’ said Klopp. ‘Improving the players that are already here is important and another part of the plan is transfers. Are we looking for players? Yes. We know what we want and are working hard.’
Klopp laughed when last year’s transfer profit was mentioned. ‘That’s negative then,’ he quipped. ‘We didn’t do the transfers last year to have a positive transfer record. A squad is fluid, players come in and go out. Of course we will spend money this time — we will have earned money.
‘It looks now as if the squad wasn’t big enough but at the start of the season we had Ingsy [Danny Ings] who got an injury and Daniel Sturridge has had a few problems. So when Phil [Coutinho] was injured we didn’t have enough options. We didn’t sell Joe Allen and Christian Benteke because we needed the money. They wanted it.
‘Joe wanted to play more than I could guarantee. Benteke at his best is a player who could have helped us, for sure, but not a Benteke without confidence.
‘You can keep all the players but it doesn’t help if they don’t perform. It is a risk you take.’
Klopp’s words will provide some comfort for Liverpool fans who have seen their team struggle to keep up with rivals for signings.
The manager insists he is singleminded in his pursuit of trophies and doesn’t look back. ‘When I won the title with Dortmund, they offered me a replica of the trophy which was expensive but I didn’t order it because I didn’t need it.
‘I have won a few things in the past and that is good and now we work on winning things here.’
Liverpool will be favourites to beat Burnley and avenge the 2-0 loss at Turf Moor near the start of the campaign.
Burnley have the worst away record in the division, collecting just two points this season, though Klopp is aware his side have tended to slip up when they are expected to win.