Jurgen Klopp says the number of new signings he targets come the summer will depend on how many competitions we’re in, but doesn’t believe that Champions League is a necessity to get the right players in…
Our failure to qualify for this year’s tournament meant Mario Gotze joined Borussia Dortmund instead, but we ended up with Sadio Mane so got the better deal in the end.
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Negotiations for Liverpool summer transfer already happening, confirms Klopp
But we’re currently in a battle with six other clubs for four positions, meaning it’ll likely be a fight to the death for the qualification spots ahead of 2017/18.
There’s a possibility we’ll end up in the Europa League, or if something drastic happens, have no European football at all.
“I actually don’t think so but we will see,” Klopp told the Echo, when asked if our qualification for the Champions League will change the players we go for.
“We don’t have to talk about the Champions League now because we are not even qualified.
“But of course if we are in the Champions League then it would have an influence. We would need a deeper squad and you have to be prepared for that. No question.
“Even with the league this season, we could have needed a deeper squad with the injuries we had. But we’re through that now.
“We will adapt our plans to the number of tournaments we play next year.”
The Echo claim in the same article than Julian Brandt is our no.1 target, as they have for a few months now, and it seems certain that we’ll make a beeline for the Bayer Leverkusen youngster. They’re struggling in Germany and won’t qualify for Europe’s best competition, so our chances of acquiring the 20-year-old flyer look decent.
He’ll add pace and goals to the frontline, but we probably need another player of a similar ilk, and perhaps a centre-forward as well should Daniel Sturridge decide to move on from Anfield.
He’s out of favour under Klopp, and it might be the club choose to offload his mighty wages for somebody more suited to our manager’s style.