JURGEN KLOPP has revealed the three players he would have signed for Liverpool if he had been given an unlimited transfer budget.....CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE>>>
Klopp, 56, has called time on his Reds career following nine years leading the Anfield club.
Jurgen Klopp has named the three stars he would sign for Liverpool if given unlimited moneyCredit: AP
During his time on Merseyside, Klopp won the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup, League Cup twice, the Club World Cup, a Uefa Super Cup and a Community Shield.
In the transfer market, the German had the lowest net spend of any club in the so-called “Big Six” since he joined at £346million.
However, he did break the club’s record on a transfer fee for a defender and a goalkeeper, with Virgil van Dijk and Alisson respectively.
But Klopp has revealed three more players he dreamed of signing for the Reds, but was not able to because of financial restrictions.
Speaking at the M&S Bank Arena for a “Thank You Jurgen” tribute night, Klopp said: “Can you imagine LFC as the club with unlimited money?
“We had hard conversations and other clubs didn’t do that in the same time.”
The three stars have an estimated market value of £460m.
Trent Alexander Arnold, Virgil Van Dijk and Jurgen Klopps wife tearful as Klopp leaves Liverpool
Despite his dream signings not being fulfilled, Klopp said he always felt supported by the Fenway Sports Group owners while on Merseyside.
He continued: “We built two new stands, a new training ground, we bought Melwood back – the dumbest idea I ever heard was that we sold it in the first place.
“The owners do what owners do. Surprise! The owners want to earn money. Sorry to tell you that.
“It’s not like they earn money on a daily basis: they invest something and that’s how the whole world goes.”
NOW we know Jurgen Klopp’s final major trophy haul at Liverpool — one Champions League, one Premier League, one FA Cup, two League Cups and (if you must) a World Club Cup.
But where does his reign stand among the greatest of the Premier League era?
In black-and-white terms, Klopp is way behind Sir Alex Ferguson and Pep Guardiola, the only two men to have won multiple Premier Leagues and a Champions League at the same club.
Those two sit alongside Brian Clough, Bob Paisley and Sir Matt Busby as the undoubted all-time managerial greats of the English game.
But Klopp ranks in the next tier down — with Arsene Wenger, Jose Mourinho (the Chelsea version), Bill Shankly and Don Revie.
These were all men with the strength of character to transform their clubs in their own image and enjoy success but who did not win as much as they might have done.
Had Klopp managed to keep his intentions under wraps and ended up with another title, perhaps even a treble or quadruple, he’d have edged himself up into that highest echelon with Ferguson, Guardiola, Clough, Paisley and Busby.
But deciding the timing and the manner of your exit is one of the toughest calls for any manager or sportsman.
Klopp got it wrong.
He added: “We should be really happy that we have these owners and not guys who bought London clubs and other stuff.
“I wouldn’t have survived a year at Liverpool (with them in charge). ‘Great development but not good enough, sack him!’ A year later: ‘Sack him’.
“Then finally they play football where people think they might be back and they sack the manager anyway.
“People always think the grass is greener but we have owners who really feel responsible for the club and work really hard as well to be successful.
JURGEN KLOPP was genuinely surprised to hear it, on the January day when he announced his intention to quit Liverpool at the end of the season.
It was put to him that Sir Alex Ferguson had told his Manchester United players in the summer of 2001 that the coming season would be his last.
Ferguson later performed a U-turn and stayed at Old Trafford for another 11 years.
But the great Scot admitted that revealing his intentions had been the ‘biggest mistake I made’.
“I think a lot of them put their tools away,” said Ferguson, “They thought, ‘Oh, the manager’s leaving’.”
It was a part of English footballing history which Klopp knew nothing about and he raised his eyebrows when he was told about it.
Liverpool were top of the Premier League, having lost only a single domestic match all season – and that a controversial VAR-infested affair at Tottenham.
But their form has nosedived since, with dreams of a farewell quadruple long gone.
And Klopp may well now be reflecting on the wisdom of his announcement.
“I felt supported. We did it as good as we could have done and I’m fine with it.”
Klopp has already opened up on his new life in a £3m Majorca villa, but insisted retirement is “out of the question”.
He also said he would take part in a bus parade if Manchester City – who beat Liverpool to two titles but have 115 charges for alleged breaches of Premier League regulations – were found guilty.
The former Borussia Dortmund boss said: “If you organise a bus parade, I’m in! How long it takes I don’t care.”
Klopp has been succeeded in the Liverpool hotseat by Arne Slot, who joined from Dutch side Feyenoord.
In terms of signings, SunSport revealed Slot wants to sign 27-goal Aston Villa ace Ollie Watkins to replace Darwin Nunez up front….CONTINUE READING THE FULL ARTICLE>>>
