Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp insists he is not jealous of Manchester City's spending power.
The Reds enter the 2019-20 campaign as European champions, determined to both defend their crown and topple City in the Premier League.
Klopp’s men will be fighting on six fronts this season, with the FA Cup, League Cup, UEFA Super Cup and FIFA’s World Club Cup also up for grabs.
But only 17-year-old Dutch youngster Sepp van den Berg has arrived this summer.
City themselves have only added one name after last season’s domestic domination, albeit Spain international Rodri arrived from Atletico Madrid for a club record £62.8million.
Elsewhere, Champions League finalists Spurs have broken their transfer record with the signing of Tanguy Ndombele, Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid and Barcelona have all invested heavily with huge spending sprees and Juventus have enhanced their squad with Aaron Ramsey - on a big-money contract - and Ajax wonderkid Matthijs de Ligt for £68million.
However Klopp insists he is only concerned with keeping his own house in order, and is happy with the investment in his squad.
“I can’t say anything about what other teams are doing,” said Klopp. “I don’t know how they do it. We have to pay bills. Sorry! Everybody has to pay bills; we have to pay bills.
“We invested money in this team. Now it looks like we are not. But we are not in this fantasy land where you just get whatever you want.
“You cannot do it constantly.
“It looks like there are four clubs in the world who can do it constantly. Madrid, Barcelona, City and PSG. Whatever they need, they do.
"You cannot compare that. That is the situation.
“It is NOT a criticism. I know how people will take it, that I am jealous or whatever. I am not at all jealous!”
The Reds face Napoli at Murrayfield in Edinburgh on Sunday, before heading to Switzerland for a training camp - before meeting Lyon in Geneva on Wednesday.
They meet Pep Guardiola’s side at Wembley in next weekend’s Community Shield, before kicking off the Premier League season against newly-promoted Norwich the following Friday.
Klopp’s squad, which has lost Daniel Sturridge and Alberto Moreno after the pair departed at the end of their contracts, has been bolstered by the return to fitness of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and the emergence of Rhian Brewster - highly-rated by Klopp.
It is not expected that they will make any big-money signings before the August 8 transfer deadline, with Klopp seeking to continue the stars already at his disposal.
However, as he continues to evolve his side, he admits that may not always be the case.
“This year is not the end of LFC,” he continued. “Next year there will be another transfer window.
“This team is really good and we have invested a lot in it.
“Now we have to work that. You cannot hope that we will not draw at home to Leicester on a snowy pitch with five new signings.
“There is no guarantee with that. There is no guarantee.
“There will be average games – and we still have to win it but that doesn’t mean we need different players.
“It only means we need a team that is ready that day. And that is what we have to do. We have to make sure.”
