HIGHLIGHT – Liverpool
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp is prepared to buy as many as six players in hopes of improving his squad this summer.
Jurgen Klopp
The former Borussia Dortmund manager’s side has struggled to keep hold of a Champions League place this season as they failed to reinforce the team in the January transfer window.
But Klopp insists he was not pressured to keep a tight budget by the club’s owners, and promised key purchases this offseason.
“The club have never said to me that a certain figure is too expensive; that has not happened yet and I don’t expect it to happen,” Klopp said. “We all have the same plan, the sporting director, scouting department, owners, myself — we all want to make this club as successful as possible so we will spend money in the summer. Of course we have to improve the squad, that is clear.”
Liverpool were left weakened in the winter due to injuries and the loss of star forward Sadio Mane to the African Nations Cup. And Klopp is eyeing a heavy haul of reinforcements to replenish the team.
“We could have done with one or two players in January, when we had injury problems and the Africa Cup, but the transfer window didn’t give us any opportunity,” Klopp said. “We will be prepared for the summer window, for sure. We are working on it already — we might need between two and six players.”
Liverpool broke even with their transfer spend last summer. Klopp says that they may not repeat the feat for a second straight year.
“We need to make the right transfers,” Klopp said. “It is not about money — we can go for the players we want — but at the very top level you might be competing with Barcelona or someone. Some players would rather live in London or Manchester instead of Liverpool, so we have to make a decision and try and make it happen.
“It might not be possible to break even again; that just happened last season, it was not a target. There will be a few new faces in summer, that is how it is always.”
