Liverpool cannot compete with Manchester City’s financial power, manager Juergen Klopp said on Friday, adding that their Premier League rivals and some other clubs “can do what they want”.
Liverpool welcome City at Anfield on Sunday, with the Merseyside team trailing Pep Guardiola’s defending champions by 13 points.
Asked how Liverpool could keep up with Pep Guardiola’s team, who won the Premier League for the fourth time in five seasons in May, Klopp replied that nobody could.
“You will not like the answer, and you all have the answer already. Nobody can compete with City in that,” he said.
“You have the best team in the world and you put in the best striker on the market. No matter what it costs, you just do it.
“I know City will not like it, nobody will like it, you've asked the question but you know the answer. What does Liverpool do? We cannot act like them. It is not possible.”
City signed Norwegian striker Erling Haaland from Borussia Dortmund in a deal reported to be worth £51m (R1.046bn)) in the close season but the multiyear deal, including his salary, could exceed €300m.
“There are three clubs in world football who can do what they want financially,” Klopp said. He was referring to the United Arab Emirates owners of City, the majority Saudi ownership of Newcastle United and Paris St Germain, which has a Qatari owner.
You have the best team in the world and you put in the best striker on the market. No matter what it costs, you just do it
“It's legal and everything, fine, but they can do what they want. It is not a problem at all for me, it’s like it is.”
Guardiola said Liverpool are their “biggest challengers” for the Premier League title in spite of their poor start to the season.
City, who have qualified for the last 16 of the Champions League, are second in the league table on 23 points after nine games, one point behind leaders Arsenal.
Liverpool have won only two of their eight league games and are 10th, but Guardiola said his opinion about the Reds has not been changed by their league position.
“I know the quality they have, they know the quality we have. If this was with three games left, I would say they could not catch top of the league but, with so long left plus a World Cup, anything can happen,” Guardiola told reporters on Friday.
“It’s always difficult in the years since we have arrived here together, it will be a tough game and I don’t expect anything else.
“The game will be dictated on the pitch, not by the table, because we are in front of them or behind, not because of those kind of things.”
City have been one of the most consistent teams in world football this season, with the team yet to lose a game in any competition.
“This is our biggest achievement as a team,” Guardiola said.
“Everything can change. A few months ago Liverpool were competing for a prestigious situation in English football, four titles, they had more shots, possession, everything in the final and they lost.
“This is the same team, same manager, things can happen. It’s part of the nature of the competition. I don’t look at good moments or bad moments, I analyse as a team, always expecting the best of them.”
Guardiola said that Kyle Walker (groin injury), Kalvin Phillips (shoulder) and John Stones (thigh) were still sidelined and did not know if they would be fit to play for England at the World Cup.
He added that Haaland would play in today’s game after he was an unused substitute in their Champions League match in midweek.
The Spaniard also discussed his own contract extension negotiations, saying he was “not thinking one second” about it. His deal is set to expire in 2023.
“We have two or three weeks until the World Cup and this is an important time. After that, we have plenty of time to talk about that,” said Guardiola, who has guided City to four Premier League titles, four League Cups and the FA Cup.
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