Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp: 'Signing big names not important'

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has claimed that building a team is more important than recruiting "big names" in the transfer window.

The Reds have added Marko Grujic, Joel Matip, Loris Karius and Sadio Mane to the squad since Klopp was appointed last October.

Liverpool's Premier League rivals Manchester United and Manchester City have gone for star power, with Jose Mourinho clinching the signatures of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Eric Bailly and Henrikh Mkhitaryan, while Pep Guardiola has nabbed Ilkay Gundogan from Borussia Dortmund at City.

Klopp, though, is more concerned with building on his team from last season as opposed to completely restructuring it.

"If we go for players and there is obviously no chance, there is no point," Klopp told reporters. "Look for players you can have and make the best of it. I am 100% happy with the guys we have brought in until now.

"This period in every year is one of a lot of expectations. Everyone expects big names and a big improvement because of big names and if you don't know the players it's like 'What are we doing? What are they doing?'"

"Nobody thinks about the good games we played last season. They only think United or City have taken this player and we have taken what's-his-name, but for us it is about creating and building a team for next year. We have to prove that our thinking about the team is right. We have to build a special bond with the right mentality. It is using experience, using the base and not killing the base and starting completely new."

Liverpool's first game of the 2016-17 season will be against Arsenal at the Emirates on August 14.