The Reds have not signed anyone new this month, with their only transfer business being allowing four players to leave the club. Although the German manager has stated that the club are looking to sign new players, however, top clubs are reluctant to sell in January.
“I understand it is absolutely normal that people ask whether we should have brought players in,” he said.
“The situation is yes, on the one side pretty simple, but on the other hand it is pretty difficult. It is not that we don’t want to bring players in. We do. But the thing is, the players we want because we think they help us, the clubs don’t sell. It is not about money in this situation, it is the winter transfer window.”
Liverpool currently sit fourth in the Premier League table and most recently lost their last game 3-2 to relegation-threatened Swansea at the weekend.
Klopp has consistently said that the focus of Liverpool’s recruitment plans has been around the issue of squad balance rather than financial frugality. And yet, if Liverpool aren’t careful, the money retained from this month’s inactivity might end up being placed on an improved contract for Sadio Mané when he returns from international duty with Senegal, should his agent choose to make the point that his client’s value has increased without him even being there.
“Clubs are saying ‘No, we have half a year to go, we cannot find another player like this, and we prefer to take money in the summer than a few pounds more in the winter than whatever’.
“So it is pretty easy. You see the situation. It’s tight, it’s close, we know that, but if the right decision is not possible in signing the right player then you cannot make the wrong transfer.”
“That is the situation. That is why I say we know the situation, we are prepared to move, but for the right player. We are not the only side who can decide the outcome of that, though, are we? The selling club makes the decision too.”