Jurgen Klopp: 'Liverpool not under added pressure'

By Daniel Lewis, Senior Reporter | 27 July 2018

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp insists that his side are always expected to compete for silverware, meaning that there is no added pressure ahead of the 2018-19 campaign.

Jurgen Klopp has insisted that Liverpool are not under added pressure to win the Premier League title this season, despite their big spending spree.

The Reds have added Fabinho, Naby Keita, Alisson Becker and Xherdan Shaqiri to their squad this summer, as well as bringing in Virgil van Dijk in January, at a cost of more than £250m.

Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho suggested earlier this week that anything less than title success in 2018-19 will be considered a failure for Liverpool, but Klopp is adamant that the situation has not changed for his side as they are always expected to compete for silverware.

"It was always like this before the season. It's always like this - 100%," he told ESPN. "Any trophy is good. Whatever you can get after a final, take it. After the season, take it. That's 100% like this. I don't think it's a big difference. Only that now people maybe from [last season], they believe a little bit more, but it doesn't change the situation.

"Yes our job is to improve the team every year, to improve the football every year and if you do that then the chances become bigger. But the thing is that the other teams don't sleep, so Man City are still a fantastic team and United will have again a fantastic team... Chelsea, Arsenal, Tottenham.

"Tottenham pretty much complete together, Arsenal, they lost [Jack] Wilshere, that's it, and otherwise they only brought players in, so strong side obviously. Everton is for big things, Wolverhampton can be a surprise. It's a difficult league, so we don't have to dream too much and we don't."

Liverpool have won four, drawn one and lost one of their six pre-season outings to date, with Man United up next in Michigan on Saturday.