Klopp defends Liverpool transfer policy after £177m spree

Jurgen Klopp has defended Liverpool’s transfer policy this summer after they spent more than any of their Premier League rivals – £177million in total.Liverpool made four big-name signings in Alisson, Naby Keita, Fabinho and Xherdan Shaqiri as they strengthened their squad from back to front.

Klopp believes it has come about after years of selling more players than they bought and claims he now has a squad strong enough to compete for the Premier League.‘My own expectations are always pretty high, we’ll have to make the most of it (the pressure after spending a lot). It’s always my expectation to reach the highest level but it doesn’t work all the time,’ Klopp said.

‘I think for us it was pretty normal there would be one point where we spend more money. The last few years I’ve had to sit here and defend our transfer behaviour, we sold more than we brought in. 

It all makes sense, we had to create a squad which is strong enough and wide enough to cope with the Premier League.‘People ask me is it the best squad I’ve ever had? I don’t think about that. It’s about what we make of it, how often we deliver, how often we bring ourselves in a mood to fight against all these Premier League teams who want to have our points.’

While Liverpool’s transfer business in terms of incomings is done, there is still the possibility that some players will leave for the continent. Klopp admitted that it was likely that some players move on before the end of August, with the transfer window across much of Europe open until the end of the month.

‘The window is only one way closed so we cannot buy any more but we can sell – not in Premier League – but it is clear things will happen,’ he said.The Liverpool manager was also questioned about his side’s chances of closing the gap to Manchester City after their lavish spending spree.But Klopp believes Pep Guardiola’s side are not the issue after Liverpool had success against them last season.

‘You all ask me about the gap to City and what we have to do, it has nothing to do with City. City took three points from us, we took three points from them but we lost them in other games. ‘Win all of them and it is good but it is pretty difficult to do because not only the other Big Six, you see how Wolverhampton acts, how Fulham acts and how Everton acts – they are all ambitious. 

‘I don’t think too much about what we have to do; I thought about it pre-season but now we have to be in this championship mood. ‘It is like you jump in the water and dive and then let’s go for it until you don’t have enough air any more or oxygen and you have to go up again. That is the plan, that we really go for it.’