Get all your news in one place.

100’s of premium titles.
One app.

Start reading

Get all your news in one place.

100’s of premium titles. One news app.

Start reading

Liverpool Echo

Sport

Ian Doyle

Jurgen Klopp makes Liverpool summer transfer promise after 'surprise' development

Jurgen Klopp Liverpool Jude Bellingham Naby Keita Anfield (Organization) Manchester City

Jurgen Klopp is adamant Liverpool will spend in the transfer market this summer - but believes his team's recent inconsistent form will have no bearing on which players are bought and sold.

The Reds are expected to be busy in the forthcoming window as they look to improve a squad that has underwhelmed this season to leave Champions League qualification in peril.

The recruitment team have made midfield reinforcements a priority with Jude Bellingham of Borussia Dortmund, Chelsea's Mason Mount and Matheus Nunes of Wolverhampton Wanderers among those being considered. Klopp revealed on Friday "positive" talks had taken place during the recent international break regards transfers.

Bellingham, who is also being courted by several other major European clubs, is likely to cost upward of £100million with Dortmund reluctant to part with the 19-year-old England international.

And while sidestepping a question on whether Liverpool would spend that amount on one player, Klopp has hinted there will be a significant outlay in the summer overall.

"I will not answer the question because we never speak about these kind of things," said the Reds boss. "We will spend in the summer, that's what I can say definitely. The club will spend in the summer, definitely. For who and how many and stuff like this, there is nothing to say about, really."

A number of players are expected to leave Liverpool this summer. Roberto Firmino has already confirmed he will depart when his contract expires at the end of the season, with midfield trio Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and James Milner along with goalkeeper Adrian poised to follow suit. Nat Phillips has also been linked with an exit, while the Reds are expected to receive offers for reserve shot-stopper Caoimhin Kelleher.

The likes of Fabinho and Joe Gomez have also seen their Anfield futures questioned after disappointing campaigns, although Klopp will look at the bigger picture rather than recent inconsistent form from his team when deciding what work needs to be done.

"(What happens) has nothing to do with specific results," he said. "My main job is to watch the boys the whole year and that is what I do, during sessions, during games. And one game, two games have absolutely nothing to do with the decision. I understand (the question) but I would say no, it doesn't make it more difficult."

"It can be as influential if you don’t know a boy for four or five years. If you know them for four or five years, then these two games have absolutely nothing to do with it. That doesn't mean you sign a player after winning 7-0 or you sell a player after losing 1-0."

Having hinted shortly after signing a long-term deal last April that Liverpool's squad was heading into a period of "transformation", Klopp admits he has been taken aback by the extent of the impact it has had on results this season.

And the Reds boss, who arrived at Anfield in October 2015 and is under contract for another three years, said: "I am long enough in the business to know how these things develop. It’s clear after a specific amount of time that you need to shuffle things and kind of start anew. That is completely normal, it happens all the time, it’s just rare nowadays that it happens with the same manager because people realise when you sack a manager and bring in a new manager, things change and you readjust the squad.

"After seven years it was clear that we have to do it. Look, I don’t think in the last few years we ever were the best team in the league and we had to win - we were always performing to our level and sometimes punching above it. It is not that we win football games with 80%, there’s no chance, the boys had to give their absolute all and they did but it is clear there is a moment when you have to make changes.

"The extent of it (this season) is a surprise. We are sixth, or seventh with the games in hand, and that is not where we want to be. Other teams can gain confidence by being sixth or seventh in the league. For us that is not possible because we are not where we want to be, where we should be and where we have to be."

READ NEXT