'We discuss transfers on a daily basis' - Klopp clarifies Liverpool's January dilemma

Jurgen Klopp insists Liverpool discuss transfers “on a daily basis” as he again hinted the Reds do not have the money to dip into the market this month.

It has been widely suggested that the reigning champions needed to sign a centre-back in January, with first-choice pair Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez sidelined with long-term knee injuries and Joel Matip’s fitness history chequered, to say the least.

And with the Merseysiders’ form having dipped dramatically in recent weeks – they are five league games without a win, and four without a goal even – the calls are getting louder.

Klopp, for his part, has always played down the idea of a new arrival this month, and sources have told Goal there is little chance of any incomings before the summer.

After the 1-0 defeat to Burnley on Thursday, Klopp suggested that transfer calls are not his to make. “I cannot decide if we do something in the transfer market or not, that must be clear,” he told reporters.

And asked on Friday to clarify those comments, at a press conference to preview Sunday’s FA Cup fourth-round clash with Manchester United, he was happy to do so.

He said: “Of course somebody else is making the decisions. It was always like this. If people are surprised by that now, I can’t help them.

“We discuss the situation pretty much on a daily basis. We think about ‘could we improve something or not?’ and I make recommendations, stuff like this.

“But I cannot spend the money. That’s not how it is. I don’t make these decisions, and I never did.”

When asked if that meant any transfers were reliant on the club telling him there was money available, he replied: “Exactly! Is that news to you?

“I don’t want to confuse anybody. I just said what I said. Hopefully we could clarify it now.”

Klopp shouldered the blame for Liverpool’s defeat to Burnley, their first league loss at Anfield in almost four years.

“Directly after the game, I said exactly what I thought,” he added. “I said that when things don’t work out on the pitch as we want them to, then there is an issue. And the issue is that the things I tell the boys, I didn’t tell them clear enough.

“So I have to change the way I tell the boys and then we have to change the way we play!

“We didn’t get the results we wanted for a few weeks now. Parts of the game were absolutely good enough and parts were not. We have to keep going with the things that were good enough and improve the others.”

Liverpool will check on the fitness of Jordan Henderson, who missed the Burnley game with a groin issue. With a crucial Premier League trip to Tottenham coming up next Thursday, Klopp is unlikely to risk the captain at Manchester United.

“We want to win the game, it is clear,” he said. “It’s a cup game. The game will be decided that night and we want to win it and that is how we will make the line-up.”