Jurgen Klopp laughed off suggestions Liverpool could sign Jude Bellingham in January but admitted the club are “prepared” for the upcoming transfer window.
Liverpool have been heavily linked with sought-after Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jude Bellingham to freshen up their ageing midfield.
But asked whether any deal for the 19-year-old would only have to be done in the summer instead of next month, Klopp laughed: “In January? I’m the wrong person to answer that.”
However, the Reds boss did reveal the club are ready for the January window to open.
“January, in our situation, is a window from a sports side we are always prepared, it’s always clear what kind of ideas we have or how the necessity is from our point of view,” he added with Liverpool set to face Aston Villa in their first Premier League match since the World Cup.
“All the rest doesn’t lie 100 per cent in our hands and we always work with what we’ve got, and that will not change.
“You can imagine the situation we are in that we are probably looking. If something happens, we will see.”
Ahead of Liverpool’s 3-2 defeat to title rivals Manchester City in the Carabao Cup, Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher said Liverpool need to invest up to £250m in their squad to compete at the top of the Premier League again.
But the former Reds defender fears the club’s owners, Fenway Sports Group, do not have the funds to sign the targets that Klopp requires with FSG open to investment” in the Merseyside club – although there are reports they want to sell – and Carragher believes this is a sign they are making moves to meet Klopp’s demands.
Liverpool owner John W. Henry with Jurgen Klopp
Quizzed on if he thought Carragher’s £250m estimation was accurate, Klopp said: “I don’t know about the amount of money you need exactly but I’m not against investment. We will see what the future brings, nobody knows that at the moment, but I’m still convinced it will be good, the future is bright for us.
“But at the moment we have to sort the situation. Nothing to do with any kind of future investment or investors, we have to sort the present and that’s what we’re working on.”
‘Liverpool need to go for it in transfer market’
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Jamie Carragher says Jurgen Klopp will need significant funds in the summer transfer window to continue to compete with their rivals.
Asked if a takeover is required to compete in the transfer market, Carragher told Sky Sports: “It’s interesting whether it is a sale or they need investment.
“There is no doubt that Jurgen Klopp has told Liverpool’s owners, ‘I need £200m-£250m to spend in the summer’.
“That sounds like an outrageous figure, but that is what Man Utd and Chelsea spent last summer. These are the figures that Liverpool’s rivals are spending.
“I think probably once in Klopp’s tenure, Liverpool have really gone for it in the transfer market. I think it was after the first Champions League final they bought a lot of players.
“I think it needs that now. I don’t think FSG have those funds right now and I think that’s why they are looking for investment to come in and help them.”
Will Real Madrid or a Premier League club win Bellingham race?
Jude Bellingham will be one of the most sought-after prospects in 2023 and likely to command a fee in excess of £100m – but who will win the race to sign him?
The Borussia Dortmund and England midfielder is admired by Real Madrid, Man City, Liverpool and other Premier League clubs.
Sky Sports senior reporter Melissa Reddy analyses where the 19-year-old might end up.