Jurgen Klopp has explained how “work is always going on” as Liverpool look to add to their two new signings before the end of the transfer window.
The Reds are back at Melwood for pre-season, with Fabinho and Naby Keita part of Klopp’s squad preparing for Saturday’s friendly trip to Chester.
They will be boosted by the returns of eight more players after the World Cup, but as of yet there is no agreement to sign Lyon attacking midfielder Nabil Fekir.
A deal with the Ligue 1 side broke down last month due to concerns following the 24-year-old’s medical, and he is now with France in Russia.
No further signings are likely until after the tournament, but speaking to LiverpoolFC.com, Klopp insisted continued efforts were being made to bolster his ranks:
“The work [on new signings] is always going on, that’s how it is. Why should we stop until the window is closing?
“It’s all good in the moment. We will see what happens and I will not—and don’t want to—say it looks a little bit better in that department or this department.
“If all the players are coming back and healthy from the World Cup then we have already a really, really good team—and that’s the only thing I need to know.
“What happens on the other side, we will see, but we don’t finish thinking about it before the last day of the window.”
Klopp has already provided backing to under-fire No. 1 Loris Karius after his concussion prompted Liverpool’s 3-1 defeat in the Champions League final.
There remain doubts over the futures of a host of other players, however, including returning loanees such as Ryan Kent, Sheyi Ojo and Divock Origi.
While the manager will no doubt have drawn conclusions on some of those in his squad—for example, Lazar Markovic and Daniel Sturridge—he insisted nothing is final:
“We will see. I told the boys on Tuesday that everybody has the opportunity to show up, so do it.
“I’m a lot of things but not blind, so that means I see what they offer—and if someone offers something special then I will realise it and we will make decisions about it.
“It’s not the moment for that. I am really happy that they are all here because [we have] that number of players to go through the games and play these games, which is important for all of us. Then we will see.
“They are all our boys and if they go on loan or not, there are no decisions so far so we have to see how it develops.”
There is, clearly, a disparity between what Klopp will openly divulge and his intentions for the squad moving forward, but it is at least encouraging to hear work is ongoing.
While Fabinho and Keita are top-level acquisitions, there remains a need to sign another versatile forward and a replacement for Philippe Coutinho.
Whether that ultimately proves to be Fekir is unclear, with the enduring hope being a restructured deal can be agreed with Lyon, but there are certainly alternatives on the market.
Klopp will stress the need for patience, as with the World Cup ongoing and the Reds yet to even play their first pre-season friendly there is still plenty of work to do.
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