Jurgen Klopp has stated that Liverpool “always wanted” to sign a midfielder this summer, but their first-choice target went to another club, leaving plenty for the Reds to weigh up.
The midfield, it’s been on everyone’s lips and will continue to be up until the 11pm deadline – but we all know it will extend beyond that depending on if the club make a signing or not.
On Tuesday, Klopp said Liverpool remain in the market for a midfield signing, saying there is “still time” but that “we cannot force it.”
Liverpool are acting late but it was not on the agenda at the start of the summer when they made a push for Aurelien Tchouameni, who instead landed at Real Madrid in an £85.3 million deal.
The manager made mention of a midfielder who got away as he noted how a signing has always been “wanted,” despite him talking up the qualities that already exist in his ranks.
“We had all different aspects of a midfield but people ask me, ‘do you need another midfielder?’ A tenth midfielder? Not sure,” Klopp said.
“But we were going for a midfielder, but the midfielder decided to go to another club, that can happen.
“In that moment it’s not just ‘we don’t take him so let’s see if we can take the other one’.
“Some players are in this moment not available, but for us, that’s really interesting and now we can make the decision.
“Are we bringing somebody in and we think ‘is it the right one? I’m not 100 percent sure. Short-term, probably yes. Long-term, I’m not 100 percent sure.
“So what would that mean for the next transfer, this is all going through our minds. This is how our life is, we cannot just push a button, bring him in and worry about all the problems he could create next year.
“Then you get injuries and all of a sudden it looks like, oh yes, we need a midfielder. Definitely.
“We always wanted [a midfielder], but it was always about the right one. We cannot change that.
“It must always be short and long-term [solution], this didn’t happen yet.”
On Liverpool’s approach to the matter, Klopp added: “We started the season with nine midfielders. In every aspect there was everything in; creativity, speed, excitement – because of youth – technique, fight, runners.
“It’s all there and they all have contracts.
“Then you start a pre-season and with a player with a one-year or two-year contract comes in and says ‘I didn’t play often enough last year, I want to go’ – then in that moment you go.
“But it’s not that we push people actively out and tell them ‘you are cut out now, yes it was great what you did until last year, but we don’t like you anymore.
“We are not like this.”
