Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has explained how he only looks to sign players who desperately want to join the club and seek to create something “special.”
The Reds have already welcomed four new signings this summer — in Joel Matip, Marko Grujic, Loris Karius and Sadio Mane — and have been looking to add more, with Augusburg defender Ragnar Klavan the latest name linked.
Mario Gotze, who worked under Klopp at Borussia Dortmund, was a target but Liverpool’s interest in the German World Cup winner reportedly waned after Klopp felt Gotze was using Liverpool as a backup option.
“We don’t look at the price tag and say anything above €50m is good. We look at who we need and who really wants to join us,” Klopp told Die Welt.
“When we realise that a player doesn’t really want it, then we don’t fight for him for a long time. The club is one of the biggest in the world, and who does not realise it doesn’t fit here.
“There are two options for a good player: Either you join an already successful club and surf the wave, or you join a really big club like Liverpool and say that you want to create something very special.
“If the players knew what happens here when they achieve something, they’d beat a path to our door. Everyone who plays four good matches here, can dine for free here forever.
“The city is completely crazy in dealing with former players. Also because there hasn’t been a spark here for a while now, but that’s why the people here are greedy to win something.”
This Premier League season will see Klopp line up against new managers Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, Jose Mourinho at Manchester United and Antonio Conte at Chelsea.
However, Klopp is not fazed by the increase in competition because of Liverpool’s characteristics, regardless of their rival’s resources.
“They are renowned for not shopping at the discounter,” the German added. “A few things will happen on the market. In spite of that my understanding of football is that everyone can be beaten. That’s why we see our chance.
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“Liverpool are a special club with a special emotions — that distinguishes us from other clubs. That’s our niche. It will be difficult, but it’s not like the teams are miles away. There is no other league in which a top-four finish is more difficult.
“There are only five teams in question in Spain anyway, and maybe seven in Germany. There are many more here. That’s brutal. There is a totally different cut-throat competition in Premier League.”
Earlier this month, Klopp and his trusted senior staff — Zeljko Buvac and Peter Krawietz — signed a six-year contract extension with the club just nine months into their reign.
The approach to extend Klopp’s stay on Merseyside came directly from Liverpool’s owners — Fenway Sports Group — with the American sports investment company believing the club is on the path to success under the German.
Klopp admits that the contract offer so soon did initially shock him a little, but soon realised that signing the extension suited both parties.
“They came to me, and I was also a bit surprised,” he said. “Then I asked myself where I want to go in my life. The answer was plain: Preferably I want to be where I am right now.
“On top of that I realised over the years that I am the opposite of a caretaker manager. I want to develop things, I like to improve the structures, ideally mutually. And that’s just what Liverpool FC need. And that’s why we struck the deal.”
However, dealing with his bosses over the other side of the Atlantic does come with its problems.
“It prolongs my working day, for the time difference alone,” Klopp said. “Once FSG president Mike Gordon is awake, my work is usually already done. You have to get used to this structure first, but it also has charm, and you need to do some rethinking.
“I can’t just sit down with [CEO] Aki Watzke and [sporting director] Michael Zorc for a game of cards like I did in Dortmund, I need to be on the phone for a bit longer, sometimes until half eleven at night.
“But that was also a reason for my new contract. The club owners are far away, thus it’s good to strengthen the structure on the ground. I see it as a sign of common sense, which is not that common these days.”
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