Gary Neville: “Jurgen Klopp has got to be supported. They are going to have to put some serious money down and get one or two serious players. He deserves that as a manager at Liverpool.”
Gary Neville insists Liverpool’s owners FSG must back Jurgen Klopp in the transfer window this summer, saying the club need to spend “serious money” to buy “one or two serious players” to help return them to the top.
It’s been a difficult season at Anfield so far but a run of six straight league wins has moved Liverpool to within a point of their stuttering fourth-placed rivals Manchester United, albeit with Erik ten Hag’s side having played two games more.
Liverpool have claimed 19 points from a possible 21 and there is now a glimmer of hope that they could salvage Champions League qualification.
However, less than 12 months from going close to an unprecedented quadruple, Liverpool have been well below the standards that have seen them secure seven trophies, including the Premier League title and the Champions League during Klopp’s reign.
And Neville, speaking on The Gary Neville Podcast, believes it’s time for Liverpool to support Klopp “enormously” in the transfer market to keep them challenging for major honours.
“Jurgen Klopp has got to be supported,” he told Sky Sports. “He was supported when they fell short by being able to push themselves in the transfer market, they’ll have to go there again this summer.
“Other teams are going to invest, Klopp’s strength over the last six or seven years has been the quality of football but also the strength of recruitment, he’s been able to get the most out of players, who ultimately haven’t cost stupid amounts, Van Dijk, Allison and Nunez aside.
“You look at those £20m, £30m signings, Jota, Salah, Mane, there are more of them, Robertson at left-back, they’ve been outstanding. They’ve been wonderful for Liverpool.
“They’re going to have to do a bit of that, but also go and I think put some serious money down and get one or two serious players for Klopp.”
Neville added: “He deserves that as a manager at Liverpool. He has shielded FSG in terms of net spend, yes they’ve been smart and it’s what Sir Alex did to the Glazer family at Old Trafford where he’d say there was no value in the market, and Klopp has been quite prudent and pragmatic, he’s not panicked and waited for players.
“That is the right way to do it, I don’t think he would go out and be carefree and reckless all of a sudden, but there comes a point where he wants a player and they’re going to have to put the money down and it’s going to cost them significantly to get Klopp the players that he needs to get back to where he wants to be, right at the very top, where they’ve been in the last few years.
“They can’t go back to him and say our targets are Champions League football. That might have been the case when he first came in, but he’s seen glory – he’s seen Champions League finals, Premier League titles, they can’t go back and say top four is a successful season for Liverpool.
“That’s not what their history is built on. Now it’s about them demonstrating they’ve got the funds to start with, and then the courage to back him enormously in the transfer market, up against funds with huge resources and unlimited funds, it seems at times.”