Liverpool Transfer News: Jurgen Klopp Issues Champions League Warning

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has insisted he does not want to sign players who are solely motivated by playing in the Champions League. 

The Reds are languishing in mid-table at the moment and look increasingly unlikely to make up the ground needed to finish in the top four. However, the German is adamant that failing to qualify for European football’s elite competition will not have any impact on his summer transfer plans, per Ian Doyle of the Liverpool Echo:

"

If a player only wants to come to us to play in the Champions League, short-term ideas are always silly. I don't like this. I don't like it when players say 'ah, but you're not in the Champions League'. We want to get you because we want to play in the Champions League. If you don't want to help us, and want to jump on a running train, then go somewhere else.

You need the right mentality and quality. That's how it is. If there's a player who won't join Liverpool because we don't play in the Champions League or will only join because we're in the Champions League, that's not for us.

"

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Although the sentiments from Klopp are admirable, for elite footballers, going up against fellow elite players is a huge incentive. It’s something that affected the Reds last summer, as they failed to finish in the top four at the end of the 2014-15 season.

Not only did they lose Raheem Sterling, arguably the team’s brightest talent, they were unable to bring in any replacements of the highest quality, with the likes of Christian Benteke, James Milner, Nathaniel Clyne and Danny Ings all good rather than great players.

As noted by sports commentator Rob Palmer recently, the end result for Liverpool is they have a squad high in numbers but short in quality:

There may be a greater incentive for the best players to join the club this summer due to the presence of Klopp himself.

While Brendan Rodgers didn’t have any real pedigree as a manager, the German has. During his stint with Borussia Dortmund he took the club from a side languishing in midtable obscurity to the summit of the Bundesliga and to the final of the Champions League. So when pitching his Liverpool vision to possible targets, it carries a lot more clout.

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However, as noted by Bleacher Report’s Gianni Verschueren, he won’t be the only manager with a brilliant track record looking to forge a squad capable of competing for the Premier League:

Klopp conceded that competing with other sides in close proximity could be a problem “Liverpool is a big name in European football and for sure there will be a few players who will say 'I want to play there'... well, until they get another offer from another club with a similar history and more money!” 

The summer will certainly be an intriguing time for the Reds. Many are holding off on judging Klopp despite Liverpool’s patchy form under his tutelage due to the fact this is a team which was assembled by another regime. The end of this season will afford him an opportunity to stamp his authority on the squad.

As vibrant and inspiring as the German is, a lack of Champions League football will hinder the club’s clout in the window. It’s the very essence of sport for competitors to want to pit themselves against the very best and the tournament is the perfect place for players to do exactly that.