Klopp offers clarity on blockbuster Liverpool moves for Sancho, Mbappe
Jurgen Klopp has made clear Liverpool’s stance on signing either Jadon Sancho or Kylian Mbappe this summer, amid reports strongly linking the pair to Anfield.
The Merseysiders have slipped badly off their perch this season. After their Premier League glory in 2020, they now face a tough battle to qualify for the top four. Those hopes were lifted a little by Chelsea’s loss to Arsenal on Wednesday. That makes Thursday’s trip to face Manchester United a must-win for Klopp’s side.
However, failure to finish in the Champions League spots will not see them sulk, Klopp has insisted.
Regardless of the outcome of their season, there is a school of thought stating Liverpool’s ageing side needs freshing up. Indeed, part of their issues this season has been the dramatic loss of form suffered by Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino. The former even admitted he went for medical tests, so worried he was about his form.
As such, the likes of Mbappe and Sancho have both been linked with Liverpool in a bid to freshen up their frontline.
However, the Liverpool Echo insists Liverpool will not be strengthening their attack this summer. Instead, priority will be given to landing a new defender and a replacement for Georginio Wijnaldum in midfield. To that end, reports on Wednesday stated Liverpool were nearing a £34m deal for a ‘midfield genius’.
Furthermore, Klopp insists Liverpool do not have the finances for either player. Should they move this summer, Sancho is likely to command a fee of around £80m, while Mbappe could cost £150m.
Either way, Klopp doubts other teams too will have the financial muscle to complete that sort of deal.
“Do I know what we have to work with? Yes, not a lot, anyway,” Klopp said.
“We cannot speak for years and years about our structure or whatever, it is always how it is.
“It depends to the business, what happens, if someone wants to leave or if players want to go, if we sell. So we can never really plan early.
“But not playing in the Champions League doesn’t help. That’s not our biggest problem though because the market will be really strange.
“I hear a lot about big-money moves, I don’t know if Kylian Mbappe is going or not, whether Haaland or Sancho will, these kinds of players.
“I don’t see that happening this summer because the football world is still not in the same place it was before.”
Subscribe for free to TEAMtalk’s daily newsletter…
Klopp wants injured players back
Top of Klopp’s priorities this summer will be getting his injured players back up to full speed.
The losses this season of Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip have been catastrophic. Lenghty setbacks for Jordan Henderson and at times, Fabinho, also haven’t helped.
To that end, Liverpool at least have had some good news on Van Dijk’s recovery.
“Getting the injured players back makes us already better. These are our first transfers.
“We don’t know exactly when that will happen but it will happen at one point. All the rest we have to see.
“If we don’t go to the Champions League it is not good, but first and foremost there is still a chance and as long as there is a chance we should not speak about it as if we have no chance.
“But if not, then we have to deal with that.”
READ MORE: Top Liverpool target urged to reject Klopp and choose Man Utd instead
The post Klopp offers clarity on blockbuster Liverpool moves for Sancho, Mbappe appeared first on TEAMtalk.