On The Ball | Liverpool are the envy of the league – Reds don’t need to be green-eyed over big-spending rivals
- Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp will improve the side if and when he needs to, but he won’t enter transfer market simply because rivals are doing so
- Reds boss still has great faith in the squad of last year to defend Premier League title
Klopp did not reinforce in any significant manner 12 months ago. There was a widespread feeling that not building on the European success was a mistake. The Liverpool manager proved the naysayers wrong. But can he repeat the trick? To go two summer windows without bringing in new players seems like flirting with danger.
The German has tinkered with the squad in the meantime. Takumi Minamino came to Merseyside in January and, although it hardly caused excitement among Kopites, Konstantinos Tsimikas arrived from Olympiacos last month at a cost of £12 million as cover at left back. There has been no real attempt to upgrade the starting XI for two years, though. It has become clear that before Liverpool dip into the transfer market they will have to sell players. This seems illogical after such a glorious – and lucrative – period in the club’s history.
The Covid-19 crisis will have an impact on the economics of all Premier League clubs but, even so, Liverpool have posted impressive pre-tax profits of £207 million over the past three years. Rival clubs have been spending gleefully. Chelsea have invested £201 million in this window, Manchester City more than £70 million and Manchester United will undoubtedly lash out more than £100 million by the time the window shuts on October 5.
