Jürgen Klopp reflects on LFC's January transfer window
Jürgen Klopp has reflected on Liverpool’s activity in the January transfer market, with the boss insisting: ‘We did what we thought was right.’
From the Reds’ viewpoint, last month’s window was headlined by the arrival of Virgil van Dijk and departure of Philippe Coutinho, while the likes of Daniel Sturridge, Marko Grujic and Lazar Markovic also left the club on loan deals.
Klopp faced the media for the first time since the window closed at Melwood on Friday, and the manager was asked whether he felt Liverpool’s business had made them more or less likely to finish the season in the top four of the Premier League.
“Neither, I would say,” he replied.
“We did what we thought was right. Not everything was in our hands. Would we have preferred to keep Phil Coutinho? Yes, of course, I think everybody knows that, while I think it was really sensible to do it.
“So, with the young lads we gave on loan to different clubs, especially the young boys, that’s because we really think they are ready for the next challenge.
“We had, and we have still, the plan to strengthen the U23s - that’s now obviously not the case in this moment anymore but we have other players that can step up. They can make the next step from U18s to U23s, from U16s to U18s, stuff like that, so that was a decision of all of us. We think they are ready.
“Then, the senior players we gave on loan, I think made sense as well. Marko needed match time. Lazar, it’s clear, didn’t play football for a long time and Anderlecht is a fantastic solution, like Bolton is for Flanno.
“Daniel wanted to leave as well and we have, with Roberto, Dom and Danny Ings, three players in that position, plus maybe Mo Salah on a specific day can play it as well. So that made sense as well [and] that’s why we did the business we did.”