Liverpool will not be buying Erling Haaland this summer, as manager Jurgen Klopp has ruled the Reds out of winning the race to sign highly sought-after Borussia Dortmund star.
The Liverpool boss admitted that he wants "nothing to do with" a potential mega-deal, with Haaland holding talks with some of the biggest clubs in Europe over the past few months alongside super agent Mino Raiola. Klopp, whose own side had been tentatively linked with the 21-year-old, has shut down the speculation in an interview with SportBild.
"We won't be going there," the former Dortmund manager confirmed. "The numbers involved are just crazy – we'll be having nothing to do with it. No chance! To be honest, I don't want anything to do with it. It's not fun."
Klopp's declaration is in line with his personal thoughts on the eye-watering finances involved in modern football, with the Reds' rigid salary structure the reason why talisman Mohamed Salah has been reluctant to sign a new contract. And while their Egyptian's future remains undecided, Haaland seems certain to be leaving BVB during the summer transfer window.
Manchester City are the favourites to sign him by activating his £68million release clause. Mino Raiola and his client are said to be demanding wages worth £500,000 per week as part of a five-year deal, meaning that the transfer would at least cost a total of £277million.
While Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich are also interested, Pep Guardiola and co are keen to capture Haaland, although the Citizens boss recently grew frustrated when once again asked about his club's chances of signing him. "Since I am here, every month or two months people say we are going to sign 50 players," a wry Guardiola responded.
"Right now, listen, it's impossible that I am going to talk about some guy who is not here. He's a Dortmund player and we've an incredible run ahead of us. At the end of the season it is the transfer window and many things are going to happen.
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"Maybe I speak about this club needing a striker for next five, six, seven years maybe once in last 12 months. I'm not going to be the guy saying we are a success or not a success because we didn’t have a striker. We have to play good and arrive with seven or eight players in the box. This is the best way to score goals."
There has been little word from Germany since BVB admitted that they were surprised by a claim from Haaland which suggested that he had been pressured by his current employers to make a decision on his future. Chief executive Hans-Joachim Watzke stated in response: "The fact that one or the other media outlet writes that Dortmund would give him an ultimatum - it said somewhere up until February last week - is total b*******.
"It's sometimes difficult for a player who now speaks German well but doesn't understand everything yet to fully grasp it. Did an official say that or is it pure speculation by the media? We have now reached a point where 98 per cent of the media is based on speculation, and it ended up being that. There is no problem at all between us."
