What the hell is happening at Anfield? Jurgen Klopp is set to spend BIG.
For so long, Liverpool’s fans have been half dismayed and half proud about their lack of spending in the transfer market. Could Jurgen Klopp be about to change all that?
Not being able to compete for top end players with the likes of Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United was both a cause of major consternation and something of a justification for a lack of silverware when compared to their far more cash-rich rivals.
But that’s all set to change this summer as Liverpool’s owners have clearly told manager Jurgen Klopp to go all out there and spend, spend, spend ahead of a new season that will involve both Premier League and Champions League challenges.
The Merseyside club’s previous record transfer was a relatively paltry £35m for Andy Carroll, but this summer has already overshadowed that expenditure.
They’ve already forked out just under £40m for Egyptian speedster Mohamed Salah, and now Klopp is ready to bid in the region of £70m each on two further recruits in coming weeks. We know that the German is keen to go back in for Virgil van Dijk and test Southampton’s angry resolve with a record bid, but that could be matched with another record transfer.
It is an open secret that Liverpool have been pursuing RB Leipzig’s Naby Keïta for some time now. The 22-year-old Guinea international has been compared to Michael Essien at his peak and would add a dynamic box-to-box presence in the Anfield engine room. But thus far the Bundesliga outfit have refused to play ball – despite the player wanting to leave.
In order to put off potential suitors, they slapped a £70m price on the midfielder’s head and thought that was that. But Paul Joyce reports in The Times that Liverpool are not put off by that astronomical demand and are ready to pay in full. That a respected journalist has gone so big on the story has got the Anfield faithful extremely excited… as well as rather confused about the sudden unprecedented spending spree.
.@ManuelVeth's reaction when Liverpool call RBL's bluff and bid £70m for Keita pic.twitter.com/AMheRosLO1
— Sam McGuire (@SamMcGuire90) June 29, 2017
£70m Keita & £70m Dijk. Clichy on a free. Sell Moreno Markovic Sakho. Approx £100m net spend only. Boss summer. Cheers @PeterMooreLFC
— Andy G (@6times2019__) June 25, 2017
https://twitter.com/Waz612/status/879268714293714944
https://twitter.com/UtkarshKOP/status/879075732814577664
https://twitter.com/PeteKopite/status/879086431506976768
70m for VVD
50m for Keita
100m for Mbappe 🔥 pic.twitter.com/9lKwXXKSLU— Mö (@Mohit30M) June 23, 2017