Klopp On Transfers: This Is Not Disneyland

Jürgen Klopp continued preparing for a post-football career in comedy with another highly entertaining pre-match presser. However, between the jokes, there was a great deal of substance and wisdom behind his words.

One such point was the matter over transfer strategy and associated costs. From an outsider's point of view, the difference between £20 million and £30 million is trivial. It's more money than most of us can comprehend, and besides, it's not our money anyway. Regardless, there are limits to Liverpool's wealth, and Klopp realizes those restraints:

I am a normal, smart guy so why should I throw away money? I cannot say it is only money going somewhere else. We have money but we are not in Disneyland and say ‘come on, take what you want'. We have a budget, we work with it, we have a lot of things to do. The club is building a stand, things like this, this is for the long-term development of the club. Don't stand still, don't only live for now. This is for the future, that is why I'm here. I know I can handle pressure really good, it is no problem for me.

Great, now I totally want to go to Disneyland with Kloppo.

Klopp went on to discuss the difference between German and English markets. Although the £24.5 million bid (or three-quarters of a Benteke) for Alex Teixeira is hardly eye-watering in today's English market, it would still represent Klopp's largest ever signing, eclipsing the £20 million Dortmund spent for Henrikh Mkhitaryan.

If you could play with this money in the Bundesliga it would make it much easier. Somebody told me there is a list of the richest clubs and Crystal Palace and teams like this are on it. You are in the competition with all the teams who all have money. In Germany we look to England and hear of a player changing clubs for £20m and think ‘oh my god'.

A £20 million transfer in Germany is a real big one, maybe only three or four clubs have done it. That is the big difference. Take the money to Germany and the Bundesliga and it is a big difference but here it doesn't make a big difference. You have unbelievably strong players in each place, and expensive players in each team. Money is not an issue. You can't just go ‘we have money' and throw it away and take any players you want. It is always about the decision, you can sign a lot of rubbish with money or you can make really good decisions.

It's good to see he's still sore about that Crystal Palace loss.

From his statements here, and his previous statements about the importance of developing as a team, it's clear that Klopp doesn't see the transfer market as the primary source to cure the club's misfortunes. Perhaps a player or two can be added this window if they represent good value and a pressing need, but he's not the type of manager who will feel pressure to make a big money signing just to placate the supporters and media.