Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp knows how important the Champions League is for the club and is ready to accept the fact that qualifying for the competition would ensure the Reds get their transfer targets next season.
Early on in the season, Klopp had stated that if a player is only interested in the Champions League, the German manager would not be looking to sign him up, but he has now stated that players will be looking to play in Europe’s biggest club competition.
The Liverpool Echo reports that Klopp had earlier said:
“So if I would speak to a player now and he would tell me: ‘if you were playing in the Champions League next year I would be really interested’, I would put the phone down from my side. I am not interested.”
When the German was reminded of his statement in April, Klopp said:
“I really forgot a lot of the things I said in the past! What I thought was that if Champions League is the only thing they’re looking for then I can’t. I don’t want him.
“But if it’s part of whatever and the player has different options and the others play Champions League and we are the only club that doesn’t – it’s all about if he’s the right player.”
The German even took out an old German saying about having to bite the bullet.
“In Germany we say we have to eat a lot of frogs. We have to wait for different reasons, we have to take it. Bite the bullet, yes.
“The better the players, the more other clubs want them and we cannot go for players saying only that Liverpool is a wonderful city. There are a few other things you have to bring in.
“We are in good talks and we’ll see what happens but it would help to qualify, that’s for sure.”
The Reds have been linked with moves for Virgil van Dijk, Julian Brandt and Naby Keita and if Liverpool can finish in the top four, a couple of these players should be playing for the club next season.
