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Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp admits he cannot spend \u201cmillions and millions\u201d on squad reinforcements for his newly-crowed Premier League champions but does not believe he will need to.<\/p>\nLiverpool manager Jurgen Klopp admits he cannot spend \u201cmillions and millions\u201d on squad reinforcements for his newly-crowed Premier League champions but does not believe he will need to.<\/p>\n
The effect of the coronavirus outbreak is likely to have a significant impact on transfer activity for the majority of clubs this summer but Klopp insists even if he had a significant war chest to spend it would not necessarily be the easiest or right thing to do.<\/p>\n
Liverpool\u2019s first league title in 30 years was achieved by a squad four years in the making and while the Reds boss will obviously look to strengthen \u2013 especially with the likely departures of fringe players Xherdan Shaqiri and Adam Lallana to name two \u2013 he thinks it will be difficult to make significant improvements.<\/p>\n
The club have already stepped aside in deciding not to compete with Chelsea for the \u00a354million signing of RB Leipzig striker Timo Werner.<\/p>\n
\u201cCovid has of course influenced both sides with ins and outs, that is completely normal, and it\u2019s just not likely that it will be the most busy summer in the world,\u201d Klopp said.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut maybe at a later point in the year, if the transfer window is still open, we will know more. But this squad\u2026look at it.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is not a squad you have to change now and say \u2018OK, we need this position and this position\u2019.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe don\u2019t have a first XI, I say we have a first 16 or 17, they can all play to the same level. But we have to use this, 100 per cent.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe cannot spend millions and millions and millions because we want to or we think it is nice to do. We never wanted that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Since the \u00a365m purchase of Alisson Becker, then a world-record fee for a goalkeeper, in the summer of 2018 Liverpool\u2019s spending has been modest and minimal.<\/p>\n
Youngsters Harvey Elliott (whose fee from Fulham has to be decided by tribunal) and Sepp Van Den Berg (\u00a31.3m) have been joined by Adrian (free) and Takumi Minamino (\u00a37.25m).<\/p>\n
During that time the club has invested in longer contracts for their key personnel, meaning they spent a Premier League-high \u00a330m on agents fees last year.<\/p>\n
And Klopp suggested the continued rise of youngsters within and around the first team deserves further exploration.<\/p>\n
The likes of Wales under-19 international Neco Williams becoming Trent Alexander-Arnold\u2019s deputy and exciting Liverpool-born academy graduate Curtis Jones and fellow young forward Elliott fully integrating themselves into the team remains a realistic possibility.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe want to strengthen this squad and this squad is strong. The problem with a strong squad is how do you improve a strong squad in the transfer market?\u201d added Klopp.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt works with money, obviously, that is possible. But it never works only with money.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou have to be creative and we try to be creative. We try to find solutions internally and there is still a lot to come: we have three or four players who can make big steps.\u201d<\/p>\n
Barely had Liverpool been crowned champions following Manchester City\u2019s defeat at Chelsea last Thursday and questions were being asked about whether this was the start of a new era of domination, last seen under Sir Alex Ferguson with arch-rivals Manchester United.<\/p>\n
Klopp knows the expectation will be greater on his side next season but insists he will not even think about defending their title.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have heard people say it is only a real thing if we win twice in a row, but that is really funny. That is obviously an English thing,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen we (former club Borussia Dortmund) became champions in 2011 nobody told us we had to become champions again.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople may expect from us to win the league again. That is possible, I don\u2019t know, but when I think of next year I don\u2019t think about winning it again.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat doesn\u2019t mean we don\u2019t want it, only that there are a lot of steps to go between now and then.\u201d<\/p>\n