Klopp: England is obsessed with money, money, money – but I don´t care!

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has hit out at the Premier League for its obsession with “money, money, money” – which he claims is unique to England – and insisted he does not care about it.

The 48-year-old was unveiled at Anfield on Friday and revealed he would rather sell a £100million player than buy one, while stressing he would not be using a lack of finances as an excuse for any poor results.

Klopp acknowledged Liverpool’s lack of Champions League football was not ideal but made it clear he only wants to bring in players who are completely sold on the idea of playing for the club.

“I am always involved, of course, in transfers,” he said. “But I was never the guy who spoke about the money. That doesn’t interest me.

“If someone says to me 100 million is too much, I don’t care about it for one second longer. I don’t want to buy a player for £100million or €100million. The best thing is if you have a player and you can sell him for £100million.

“It is only here that money is such a big thing. It is money, money, money. OK, there is much money. You don’t have to spend all the money. You can hold it and make something else.

“Only two times a year do you want to talk about transfers. You have to train on the pitch much more. That is what I love most. I am the boss of many people. You call it coach or you call it manager. It is the same thing.”

When it was put to Klopp he may struggle to attract stars like Germany international Marco Reus, who he managed at Borussia Dortmund, to Liverpool at the present time, he was equally robust.

“I absolutely don’t care about this,” he said. “If we cannot sign a player like him we are not interested in him.

“We will have to take other players. Why should you look for players that are so expensive? The whole world plays football – there are players here and players there. 

“Of course not having Champions League football is a problem, of course it is a negative. Absolutely. Of course it should be a target for all ambitious teams to play in the Champions League, for sure. But only four go in. You have to fight for it, not just talk about it.

“You have to go there and then look at which players are reachable and not dream of this player or this player and then always be ‘but they don’t want to come to Liverpool’.

“If a player doesn’t want to come to Liverpool then stay away. Really. If you think about the weather, stay away. If you think about other things, stay away. If you want to come here you are welcome.”