Jurgen Klopp says Erling Haaland will make Manchester City stronger in their battle with Liverpool for silverware, domestically and in Europe.
City are closing in on signing striker Haaland from Borussia Dortmund, with reports suggesting he passed a medical in Brussels on Monday. As talk of Haaland's imminent arrival increased earlier in the day, Klopp was asked about how Haaland would impact the title race in his press conference ahead of Liverpool's clash with Aston Villa.
"I signed a new contract knowing City will not stop developing," Klopp told Sky Sports. "It's not about City to define if we can be happy or not. It's about us and what we can make of it.
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"You have so many opportunities and so many different ways to win a football game. We have to find just one. It's possible obviously and you can do that — you face City in two, three competitions, Champions League — six times a year, more often than all the rest!
"We play against all the other teams, yes. But if Erling Haaland goes there that will not weaken them. Definitely not. I know in the moment that other people talk about money, but this transfer will set new levels. Let me say this!"
Klopp also expanded on Pep Guardiola's comments that 'everyone' in England supports Liverpool in the title race. He had said on Monday that Guardiola may have said it in the heat of the moment, and added that he does not agree with the idea.
Now, he says Liverpool should take the comments as a compliment and defended Guardiola and all managers who conduct multiple interviews straight after a game.
"I think we should take it as a backhanded compliment if he means it as a backhanded compliment," Klopp noted.
"Imagine how the situation would not be there if we were not that close. Imagine that situation. Then the interviews would be boring like whatever. You have to make sure there is some excitement and there is an exciting battle for who stays in the league and who qualifies for the Champions League.
"That is completely normal. We all feel the tension, we cannot say we don’t feel it. After the Tottenham game, it is not like I thought it was great that it happened, but before you can deal with your emotions, you have already faced 20 cameras.
"That is what happens and that is what Pep did. I don’t take it as a backhanded compliment. Whatever I said in the last press conference, or whatever anybody said, he probably thought he had to make this point.
"You know much better than I do, it is not the case. It is all fine, nothing Pep said will change our situation and it's absolutely fine."
