Jurgen Klopp reveals Liverpool's stance on 'overpriced' players
Jurgen Klopp insists Liverpool will not overpay for players this summer but remains confident of concluding deals for current targets.
The Reds have had a disappointing season by their recent standards and barring a late collapse from Manchester United, are likely to miss out on qualifying for next season's Champions League.
Injuries have played a significant part in Liverpool's decline, particularly up front, but midfield fragilities have been exposed a number of times as more and more teams have found a way to combat Klopp's high-intensity style.
Brighton & Hove Albion star Alexis Mac Allister is currently Liverpool's primary midfield target, and 90min understands that the Reds are hoping to get a jump on their Premier League rivals by concluding an early deal for the World Cup winner.
Chelsea duo Mason Mount and Mateo Kovacic and Bayern Munich's Ryan Gravenberch are other midfielders being eyed by Liverpool, though moves for those three could be dictated by a domino-like effect in the transfer market triggered by Jude Bellingham's decision to join Real Madrid.
With a number of clubs shopping in the same space, there's a danger of player prices being overly inflated as selling parties look to engineer the best possible deal. But after withdrawing from the race to sign Bellingham for those reasons, Klopp says Liverpool will not pay over the odds for anyone, regardless of the need for fresh faces.
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"If they are overpriced we cannot do it. We cannot buy the player then. We will bring in players. I am pretty sure we will bring in the players we want and those who will help us," the German said.
"I am pretty confident of that. You never know 100% until they are signed but it is not new that some clubs might try that [to raise the asking price].
"Let me say it like this: You identify a position and you have not only one option on the position. That means they should all be good, to be honest really good. You might have a favourite but if the other club doesn’t want to sell or someone else will pay the price then we cannot go with it, but usually we got the players we wanted."
One midfielder heading for the Liverpool exit door is veteran James Milner, who is closing in on a move to high-flying Brighton. Klopp would ideally have liked the 37-year-old to stay at Anfield for another year, and spoke of him in glowing terms when pressed on his future.
"Milly knows how highly I value him," Klopp said. "He’s an incredible part of this team and I would have loved to have worked together with him even longer.”
On this edition of Talking Transfers, part of the 90min podcast network, Scott Saunders, Graeme Bailey & Toby Cudworth discuss the possibility of Neymar joining Newcastle, Jude Bellingham's decision on his future and Lionel Messi leaving PSG.
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