Jurgen Klopp admits he doesn’t take any joy from the transfer issues suffered by some of Liverpool’s rivals – and is adamant he won’t be influenced by business elsewhere. Klopp takes little encouragement from such problems while being adamant Liverpool’s concentration is only on their own transfer dealings.
Jurgen Klopp said “If I would feel joy in that then I would deserve the injuries we have, to be honest. I’m not sure whether not caring less is the right phrase. I follow and see when the teams do something or not or whatever, but most of the time I am the last person to get the information. There’s no joy in that the some teams are trying (to sign players). Other teams have finished their business as well. It’s nothing to do with us. We cannot increase the rhythm or find money because other teams sign players and we say ‘oh no, we have to do as well, because they signed him we now need him’. We have to be completely independent of whatever whoever is doing, and we are. We try to sort our situation, which is difficult enough very often but it’s our situation at least. That’s the only one we can have influence on. That’s why it’s the only one I’m concerned about.”
Klopp has this week maintained Liverpool will not pursue any more incomings before the deadline on September 1 despite his options having been hampered in the opening weeks of the season by a litany of absentees. Midfielders Thiago Alcantara, Curtis Jones and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain are out for the foreseeable, centre-back Ibrahima Konate faces a significant spell on the sidelines with a knee problem, and goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher, forward Diogo Jota and new signing Ramsay are also injured.
Despite a lengthy injury list, the Reds are unlikely to make any further new signings after completing their recruitment drive ahead of pre-season with the arrivals of striker Darwin Nunez, attacking midfielder Fabio Carvalho and teenage right-back Calvin Ramsay. While Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal have similarly prepared for the new campaign, both Manchester United and Chelsea – who will challenge for a top-four berth – are still scrambling to strengthen their squads with the Premier League season already underway.