Jurgen Klopp admits Liverpool missed out on a midfielder earlier in the window but has stressed he only wants to sign the ‘right’ player.
Liverpool have been linked with signing a midfielder before Thursday’s transfer deadline, with the Reds squad currently decimated with a number of injuries in central areas.
Liverpool’s transfer business this summer could reach around £95.7 million (€110.8m) including add ons, but the majority of that investment has been recouped with outgoings with Sadio Mane, Takumi Minamino and Neco Williams among the names to have departed.
Klopp discussed the Reds’ transfer policy which operates within the club’s means and, following the sacking of Bournemouth manager Scott Parker, opened up on Liverpool’s ownership.
“Let me say it like this: when I heard it today (Parker’s sacking) then I felt really that this is the moment you realise what the right owners are,” Klopp said at his pre-match press conference.
“It is always like this. Is it always easy? No. From time to time I would risk a bit more but I don’t decide. We will try everything until there is no deadline.
“Signing players never makes sense if they are not the right one. Why would you do that? I am not careful with the money. We get told what is possible and what is not possible. There is no criticism. We became champions in a season when we did not sign anyone. That is not the famous approach after coming second. Unfortunately, the season started with too many injuries, but we have to get through it.
“Is our situation exactly like other club’s? No. But it never was and it is good enough to work with.”
Klopp spoke further on his desire for new additions and admitted Liverpool missed out on the signing of a midfielder earlier in the window. The Reds had been linked with Aurélien Tchouaméni, who signed for Real Madrid from Monaco in a deal which could reach €100m.
“Look, the situations are the following, we start the season with nine midfielders? I would say nine. And every aspect was everything in, like creativity, speed, excitement because young, stuff like this, technique, fight, runners, whatever you want, it’s all in. They all have contracts and then you start a pre-season, or these kind of things.
“When a player [with] one-year contract, whatever, a two-year contract comes and then [says], ‘I didn’t play often enough last year. Then I want to go.’ Then in that moment, he goes. But the one thing that we [don’t do is] push people actively out and tell them, ‘You are cut out now. Yes, it was great what you did until last year but now we don’t like you anymore, go’ and these kind of things. We are not like this, we are not like this.
“So it means we had all different aspects of a midfield game. You all told me or whoever, you are the ones who ask questions obviously then, ‘Do you need another midfielder?’ A 10th midfielder? Sure, but we were going for a midfielder but a midfielder decided to go to another club, so that can happen.
“So in that moment it’s now not just like this, ‘Oh we don’t take him, then let’s see if we can take the other one.’ Some players are in this moment not available but for us really interesting, so that’s how it is. And now we can make their decision – we bring somebody in where you think, ‘Is it the right one? I’m not 100 per cent sure; short term probably yes, long term I’m not 100 per cent sure, and what would that mean for the next transfer?’ and all these kind of things, what are all going through the mind. That’s how our life is.
“We cannot just push the button and say, ‘Bring him in and we worry about all the problems it could create next year, later on, all these kind of things.’ Yes, and we get injuries and all of a sudden it looks like, ‘Oh yes, we need a midfielder, definitely.’
“So, we always wanted, we always wanted but it was always about the right one. And we cannot change that just because of some things – yes, more injuries but that can change a little bit and then you say, ‘OK but we can do this now and maybe that would help us then, next year as well’, these kind of things. It must always be short and long term and this didn’t happen yet. That’s it.”
The Reds have also been linked with Borussia Dortmund’s Jude Bellingham, though he is categorically not available this summer.
