Jurgen Klopp has provided a somewhat worrying picture of what kind of Liverpool transfer news to expect over the summer if the Reds miss out on qualification for the Champions League.
Liverpool are currently on a poor run of form and look certain to surrender their Premier League title to runaway league leaders Manchester City.
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In fact, things have taken such a bad turn that the Merseyside giants are also looking like facing a struggle to finish in the top four by the end of this campaign.
Klopp admits he’s previously struggled to lure some players without Champions League football, so this could be a big worry for Liverpool if it happens again.
Discussing the importance of playing in Europe’s top club competition, the German tactician was quoted by Goal as saying: “The main reason for qualifying for the Champions League is always financial. It is a great competition to play in but for the club it’s about [finances].
“Sure, you want to excite some players. In the beginning we were sitting with some players who had offers from clubs who played in the Champions League and it was like ‘ok, sorry, we can only offer nothing or Europa League!’
“But apart from that it’s always about finances. This year there is no difference, I would say. I hope people still see we do our absolute best and try everything to make it happen, but we will see how it will end up.
“It is not that the owners called me and said ‘if you don’t qualify for the Champions League then this or that will happen’, because we are all together. We all understand the situation. They know we try absolutely everything to qualify for the Champions League again, that’s clear.”
Liverpool are currently two points off fourth spot but will need to improve quickly to catch up with an improving Chelsea side and a surprise package in West Ham.
Klopp’s comments show how vital it is for LFC’s rebuilding job this summer that they can offer Champions League football in order to land the kind of players they need to help them bounce back next season.