Liverpool have spent £36m this summer, while Manchester City and Chelsea have spent £100m and £97.5m on a single player; "We all know the situation of Chelsea, (Manchester) City and PSG. We have our way to do it. We are allowed to spend the money we earn," says Jurgen Klopp
Friday 13 August 2021 19:12, UK
Jurgen Klopp says he is "never surprised" by the big spending of Liverpool's Premier League rivals, which far exceeds his own club's this summer.
Liverpool's only arrival during the off-season has been centre-back Ibrahima Konate, a £36m signing from RB Leipzig.
By comparison, Manchester City have made £100m Jack Grealish British football's most expensive player, Chelsea re-signed Romelu Lukaku for £97.5m and Manchester United spent £73m on Jadon Sancho and lined up a £40m-plus deal for Raphael Varane.
With the deadline not until August 31, there is the potential for further big-money signings.
"I'm not surprised they spent that money because these clubs don't depend on these kind of things [the financial implications of the coronavirus pandemic]," Klopp said ahead of Liverpool's season opener at Norwich on Saturday, live on Sky Sports.
"I know they find a way [to spend]. We know our situation.
"We all know the situation of Chelsea, City and PSG. We have our way to do it. We are allowed to spend the money we earn. That's what we always did."
Virgil van Dijk, who signed a new contract extension on Friday, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip all missed large parts of last season through injury.
Klopp added: "This year we spent before we already earned money with Ibo Konate because, after last season, it was obviously clear that we cannot take any risk in this position at all.
"That is our situation and it is not about me being surprised.
"I am never surprised about the financial power of Chelsea, City or United. I have been long enough in the country know that they always find a solution to do these kinds of things.
"For us, our way, is to keep the team together. That is an important part of business."
Klopp also insists Liverpool have the resources in midfield to try and improve on last season's third-place finish in the Premier League - an achievement he says is comparable to their title-winning season in the previous campaign.
Georginio Wijnaldum joined Paris Saint-Germain as a free agent in June, having been an integral member of Klopp's squad, but the Liverpool boss cited confidence in Curtis Jones and Harvey Elliott making the "next step" in their development in the new season as reasons why the Netherlands midfielder has not been replaced.
When suggested by a reporter Liverpool supporters believe more goals are required from midfield, Klopp said: "I think our fans appreciate having a group together that is exciting to watch, fight together and is definitely 100 per cent committed to the values of the club. We can't just add on players to this squad...
"I have said it before, we cannot compare to other clubs. They obviously don't have any limits, we have limits. But we were quite successful even with having limits in the last two years and that is what we should try again."
