Jurgen Klopp has explained that those within Liverpool “know what we want to do” regarding January transfers, but insisted that talks will remain secret.
The Reds have already added to their ranks before the January transfer window opens, with Cody Gakpo arriving from PSV Eindhoven for an initial £37 million.
Reports of Gakpo joining Liverpool only surfaced after the 3-1 win over Aston Villa on Boxing Day, and within the hour, PSV had confirmed their agreement.
That is now typical of the way the club’s recruitment staff operate, with journalists on Merseyside only privy to information when it suits – and more often than not, not until a deal is already finalised.
Klopp hopes it remains that way, with scope for more signings in January, as he held up the Gakpo deal as a prime example.
“I liked very much what Pep Lijnders said, ‘we discuss these things in the boardroom and not in the press room’,” he said on Thursday.
“On top of that, to bring in Cody in the way we brought him in, for example, is again a really good sign.
“Especially the job Jules [Ward] did was exceptional.
“Quite a few people were involved and knew about it and nothing came out, which is very, very helpful in all departments.
“I think that worked out for us quite frequently and that’s why you will not really expect me to answer your question.”
It is a common belief that Liverpool would bring in another midfielder mid-season if the right candidate becomes available, though priority target Jude Bellingham is not expected to leave Dortmund until the summer.
And Klopp was asked whether the £44 million committed to the Gakpo deal would impact on funds for any further arrivals in either of the next two transfer windows.
“That’s part of the discussions we have in the boardroom and not in the press room,” he smiled.
“But I would say in principle it’s like this for all people in the world: the money you spend has an impact on the money you can spend.
“It’s not that it increased, but it has nothing to do with each other.
“We know what we want to do and we will see if we can do it.
“It’s about money, of course, but it’s how it always was: about the right players.”
Going back to Gakpo, Klopp maintained that the policy of bringing in players not yet at their peak, or not yet considered among the best in the world, was the right one.
“We are really, really happy that we could get Cody,” he continued.
“I heard a couple of, not a lot but a little bit here and there, discussions, and I understand that we have to talk about it.
“He’s a young player with a lot of potential.
“If he would already have been in a different position, scoring 40 goals and not in Holland but in Spain or whatever, [he would have been] unaffordable.
“In these kinds of things, it’s all about timing, getting these boys in the right moment, when they didn’t already score 55 goals per season.
“That’s why we were really convinced, he always made the next step and that makes it so interesting.
“We believe in our process, obviously, when players come here, especially offensive players.
“They all made a step forward, because of the way we work and the way we can help them. That makes it massively interesting.”
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