Jurgen Klopp puts skids on talk over Liverpool exits; outlines summer transfer plans

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Jurgen Klopp says none of Liverpool’s stars have told him they want to leave this summer and announced the club will not be spending big in the transfer window to solve the problems of this season.

Klopp’s men face a battle to finish in the top four this season. They face Man Utd at Old Trafford on Thursday evening and could close the gap on fourth-placed Chelsea to four points with a win. Chelsea were beaten 1-0 at home by London rivals Arsenal on Wednesday night to give the 2019/20 champions a chance of the top four.

Still, a place in the Champions League for next season will not mask a season which has struggled to live up to expectation for Klopp. The German coach said his side would “attack” the defence of their title, but they failed with that brief.

Klopp has already claimed injuries derailed their campaign, but he says their approach to transfers this summer will not change.

Liverpool, backed by FSG, will not be big players in the summer market in order to regain their position at the top of the Premier League.

Speaking ahead of Thursday’s game, he told Sky Sports: “The situation doesn’t really change, the world of football, the world itself, is in a very difficult place. With the structure we have here we do not just solve our problems in the transfer market.

“We do not say ‘let’s swap five or 10 players’, it is not that it is just not needed but we could not do it (either).

“If we did not have the injury problems we did this year the season could have looked different, could we have been champions? I don’t know, but it would have looked different.

“Qualifying for the Champions League is incredibly difficult but we would have had a better chance than we do now, without the problems we had.

“Next year we do not look for excuses but winning the league in a league where teams have the financial resources and the football knowledge like Manchester City and Chelsea is just tricky. United will try to strengthen as well.

“Qualifying for the Champions League is already a big job in this country.”


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‘The boys want to stay’

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Georginio Wijnaldum looks set to leave Liverpool on a free transfer this summer. The Dutch midfielder is out of contract and has not been able to negotiate a new deal with the club.

And while Wijnaldum’s time looks up, Sadio Mane and Mo Salah, who have been linked with big-money moves to LaLiga are believed to be staying put.

Klopp says none of his “boys” want to move on. However, the German coach says he would not stand in their way if they did.

“I don’t expect difficult conversations. At the moment no player has come to me and said anything about that. We will finish the season in the best possible way and have a break,” added Klopp.

“Some of us have Euros and Copa America this summer. We pray they will come back healthy and then have a proper pre-season. We’ll then see who will be with us or not.

“No one will be forced to stay. My understanding is that the boys want to stay. We want to prove we are better than this year.”

READ MORE: Klopp says PL rivals will ‘go for it’ next season; cannot resist jibe at Pep