EPL

'It's Christmas time, huh?' – Klopp unsure on Liverpool investment after Carragher's £250m claims

By Sports Desk December 23, 2022

Jurgen Klopp is adamant he can offer no insight into how much money Liverpool need to spend following claims the Reds boss will have told the club £250million of investment is required.

Former Liverpool defender Carragher made those comments while working as part of Sky Sports' punditry team for their EFL Cup last-16 defeat to Manchester City.

His words came after Liverpool's owners Fenway Sports Group (FSG) put the club up for sale last month, with FSG saying it is also open to bringing in a strategic partner.

Liverpool resume the Premier League season against Aston Villa on December 26 following the World Cup break sitting 15 points behind leaders Arsenal and seven behind fourth-placed Tottenham.

The Gunners' renaissance and Newcastle United's emergence as Champions League contenders have complicated Liverpool's pursuit of a place in the top four and leave the Reds likely facing more competition for those positions in the coming years.

"I think there's no doubt that Jurgen Klopp has said to Liverpool's owners, 'I need £250m to spend in the summer'," Carragher said, "and that sounds like an outrageous figure, but that's what Man United and Chelsea spent last summer. 

"These are the figures that the teams Liverpool are competing with are spending, and I think only once in Jurgen Klopp's tenure Liverpool have really gone for it in the transfer market, just after the Champions League final [in 2018]. They bought a lot of players, and I think it needs that now. 

"You're talking about that kind of investment, and I don't think FSG have those funds right now, that's why they're looking for investment to come in and help them."

Liverpool have been linked with Borussia Dortmund's Jude Bellingham and Benfica's Enzo Fernandez, both of whom impressed at the World Cup for England and Argentina respectively.

"Ooooh, it's Christmas time, huh?" Klopp replied when asked about Carragher's remarks.

"I don't know about what amount of money you need exactly, but I am not against investment, to be honest. 

"We will see what the future brings. Nobody knows in the moment, but I'm convinced it will be good and the future is bright for us. At the moment, we have to sort the present, and that is what we are working on."

On Liverpool's prospects in the January transfer window, Klopp replied: "I am the wrong person to ask; I don't know. January in our situation is a window where we are always prepared, that's how it is. 

"It's clear what ideas we have and how the necessity is from our point of view. All the rest doesn't lie 100 per cent in our hands. We always work with what we have got, and that will not change."

Related items

  • Ronaldo concedes he 'can't think long term anymore' Ronaldo concedes he 'can't think long term anymore'

    Cristiano Ronaldo has conceded he "can't think long term anymore" as he approaches his forties.

    Ronaldo, who has scored the most goals in history, is still starring for Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia, while he is a regular starter for Portugal under Roberto Martinez.

    The former Real Madrid superstar turns 40 in February, though is showing no signs of slowing down and has already scored 10 goals for his club this season.

    He also hit the 900-career goals mark when he netted for his country against Croatia in September, and has since added two more international strikes to his vast collection.

    Ronaldo has publicly set out his aim to net 1,000 goals before he retires, but he knows short-term targets are now the order of the day in the twilight of his career.

    "I now face my life as living in the moment. I can't think long term anymore," Ronaldo said after receiving the Platinum Quinas, the highest honour available to Portuguese players.

    "I said that I wanted to reach 1,000 goals, but it seems that now everything is easy, just last month I reached 900.

    "It's about living in the moment, seeing how my legs will respond in the next few years. If I reach 1,000 goals, that's fine, but if I don't, I'm already the player with the most goals in history."

    FPF president Fernando Gomes hailed Ronaldo as "an ambassador for Portugal".

    Ronaldo also took the chance to air his disappointment at players who chose not to represent Portugal.

    He said: "I believe there is nothing better than representing the national team. Coming to play for the national team, and representing the entire country — all its culture, your children, your mother, your father, your best friends — that is why I often feel disappointed with some players who do not want to represent the national team.

    "Time flies, and there is nothing better than playing. I hear many people say that Portugal is a small country. Portugal is a great country. We need to think that way; we must believe that, regardless of the country's size, we have everything: an extraordinary country, the infrastructures we have, the stadiums, the magnificent coaches we have.

    "The potential of these players, the stars we have, we just need to refine a few edges and believe that one day we will be great."

    Ronaldo's Portugal host Poland in the Nations League on Friday before taking on Croatia three days later.

  • Slot believes Liverpool have 'many challenges to come' in Premier League title race Slot believes Liverpool have 'many challenges to come' in Premier League title race

    Arne Slot envisages "many challenges to come" in Liverpool's Premier League title race, despite his side moving five points clear at the top of the table with victory on Saturday.

    The Reds capitalised on Manchester City's slip at Brighton by taking all three points in a 2-0 win over Aston Villa to establish breathing space at the summit.

    Darwin Nunez gave the hosts the lead at Anfield as he capitalised after a quick counter, before Mohamed Salah did the same six minutes from time to secure all three points.

    While Slot was pleased by the outcome, he is aware the cushion at the top does not guarantee a smooth run in their title challenge.

    "It wasn't easy, like most of our games have been now," he told TNT Sport. "Aston Villa were maybe not as aggressive as we thought they would be.

    "We were patient. One thing they are very good at is set-pieces. In general, we had control over the game and scored from two counter-attacks, which is maybe not what we would expect.

    "If I look at the games that are ahead, they are tough. It will be a tough season in general. Margins are small, we have a margin, but it is small. [There are] many challenges to come for us."

    Slot has got off to a fine start since succeeding Jurgen Klopp as manager at the start of the season, as he became just the fourth manager to win as many as nine of his first 11 Premier League games in charge, after John Gregory, Guus Hiddink, and Carlo Ancelotti.

    Liverpool now have 28 points in the league. They have only previously equalled this total once after 11 games, in their title-winning season of 2019-20 (31). 

    Equally, no manager has ever won more points from their first 11 games in the competition than Slot. The Dutchman is not concerned by totals or margins, however, with his focus remaining on the philosophy he wants to instil at Anfield.

    "As a manager, if you come into a new club, you don't think about how many points after how many games," he told BBC Match of the Day. "You think about changing the style or keeping it as it was.

    "To change the style, you have to do a lot of things on the training ground and in meetings. The only thing I have thought about is how to implement the playing style, and how to make sure the players keep working as hard as they can."

  • Emery demands improvement from Aston Villa Emery demands improvement from Aston Villa

    Unai Emery urged his side to “keep improving” after Saturday's 2-0 defeat at the hands of Premier League leaders Liverpool at Anfield.

    Aston Villa have now lost four successive games in all competitions for the first time since April 2022.

    They have also lost consecutive league matches for the first time since May 2023, after breakaway goals from Darwin Nunez and Mohamed Salah sent Arne Slot's team five points clear at the top of the standings.

    Emery was pragmatic in defeat but insisted his side need to up their game if they are to match the levels they set last season.

    "We have to keep improving, recover some players who have just come back after long injuries. Some players are not in the same performance level as last year but today they were a bit better," he told TNT Sports.

    "This year a lot of players have come back from long injuries. We have to try to keep the same positive attitude and mentality and try to accept the results that we have had this week.

    "The league is tight, there are a lot of teams performing very well and we have to accept that we need to improve. We are under our level from last year a little bit but I am still confident."

    Villa have recently seen the return of Tyrone Mings from a long-term injury, but there was further concern for Emery when Jacob Ramsey sustained an apparent hamstring issue late in the first half.

    The Villans did have their chances at Anfield, with Amadou Onana and Diego Carlos forcing good saves out of Caoimhin Kelleher.

    Indeed, Villa posted 1.5 expected goals (xG), compared to Liverpool's 2.02.

    "Liverpool dominated at times but they did not have a lot of clear chances to score," reflected Emery.

    "We did our work and we had the chances to score in the first half, in the second half, and we played more or less in the way I wanted."

    Villa took 12 shots during the match, only two less than Liverpool (14), with an equal number coming from inside the box (nine each).

    They also had shouts for a penalty prior to Liverpool's second goal when Pau Torres went down after he had his shirt pulled in the box, but their appeals were waved away.

    "We have to try to be consistent in how we are building and responding. We have to compete and build a team, but we played the match we planned," Emery said, as reported by the Premier League's official website.

    "We had chances to score, we had one penalty, maybe a potential penalty, for me, it's clear. With VAR, it was not but I have to accept the decision."

    Emery also feels Villa lost to a team that are clear title contenders.

    "They started better than us, they are contenders to win the title, but I think you have to try to get our way, and we are in this process," he said. "I am positive."

© 2024 SportsMaxTV All Rights Reserved.