Liverpool must be decisive on summer transfer deals, says Jürgen Klopp

Jürgen Klopp has said Liverpool must act decisively on their transfer plans for this summer regardless of Champions League status or fresh investment because the increased spending power of Premier League rivals cannot be ignored.

The Liverpool manager has long maintained there need to be major changes to his squad at the end of the season, with Borussia Dortmund’s Jude Bellingham the leading target for a midfield overhaul. The prospect of Champions League football being on offer is in doubt, with Liverpool trailing Real Madrid 5-2 from the first leg of their last-16 tie and Tottenham by seven points in the race for fourth place, albeit with two games in hand.

Klopp is adamant that the potential loss of lucrative Champions League income should not undermine Liverpool’s transfer plans and that the club, seeking a sporting director to replace the outgoing Julian Ward, needs to move swiftly to secure its main targets.

“It is not helpful,” Klopp said of failing to qualify for next season’s Champions League. “Money always has an impact but this cannot be that much of an impact, let me say it like this.

“Of course it is influential but it is a summer where we have to be in the market definitely. I’m sorry that I cannot guarantee Champions League at this moment but we fight for it and it is not done yet so we don’t have to talk about it as if it is not possible. But it is tricky and it will be a late decision I guess, but we have to start work [on recruitment] earlier before we know where we will end up position-wise and European competition-wise. These things are clear.”

John W Henry, Liverpool’s principal owner, stated this week that he was confident of attracting new investment when confirming Fenway Sports Group does not