Liverpool are not in a position to start “splashing the cash” on further signings this month, according to their manager, Jürgen Klopp.
The arrival of Cody Gakpo from PSV Eindhoven for £37 million last week has bolstered the club’s attacking options, although the focus remains on whether Liverpool will strengthen in midfield. Klopp, however, insists that he trusts the players who make up his squad — and that available funds with which to improve it are limited.
���I am now seven years and a few months here and every transfer window is pretty much the same,” he said. “We talk about these things as though money wouldn’t play a role. Like, ‘Who cares’.
“It is never like this, that you could just spend money. I don’t want to disappoint anybody but we signed an outstanding player like Cody Gakpo and the next thing you can read is, ‘Who next?’
“It is like we didn’t have a team, honestly. We cannot play like Monopoly. We never did and I don’t understand it.”
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Liverpool want Borussia Dortmund’s Jude Bellingham but face having to wait until the summer, when the 19-year-old England midfielder is set to be available for about £130 million, and must also see off intense competition from Real Madrid and Manchester City.
In the meantime they are always alert to opportunities, but a combination of factors, such as availability and value for money, will shape their plans, as was the case with Gakpo.
“Of course, we cannot just spend and never could, surprisingly,” Klopp, who is preparing his team to face Brentford in the Premier League this evening, added.
“We always sorted our situations and it is a big part of my philosophy, really working full of faith and trust with the players we have and not constantly questioning them by telling them we need another player for that position or that position.
“With Cody, it is obvious. Not only because we have that void [on the left] now, the quality he has, the timing is perfect — if we waited until the summer he would be more expensive or someone else would have picked him.
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“It is clear that you need real quality in all positions and probably two teams on the same level that you can rotate, and that is what we try to prepare.
“That somebody is now surprised when I say we will not now start splashing the cash — that should be really clear. Again, if there is something we can do — and that means the right player and financial situation — we will do it. And if not, then not.”
An added complication is that Liverpool’s transfer strategy has been based on a self-sustaining model. There are few candidates who could be sold to raise significant funds, while Roberto Firmino, Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and James Milner are all out of contract in the summer.
“Nobody came to me and asked if he can leave,” Klopp said. “If that should be the case then I would listen, because the last thing I would want to do was to force someone to stay at Liverpool. But, again, nobody came yet.”
