Darren Gough believes Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has the edge over Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola when it comes to the transfer market.
The former England cricketer shared he thought the Reds boss had a clear edge over his Premier League rival as he was a different gravy when it came to spotting talents and bringing them to the club.
Gough claimed that Klopp have effectively rebuilt Liverpool through the signings he has made, and that when Guardiola took over Manchester City the spine of the team was already in place.
“I’d say Klopp is a different gravy at getting players, spotting talents and getting them to the club,” said Gough on talkSPORT (18:23, Wednesday, July 3rd).
“Well listen, I did my own research, thank you (Max Rushden said he got someone to do it for him) why wouldn’t I do it myself, I’ve actually got a sheet of paper that tells me Pep’s stuff as well.
“You’ve got to remember, that the clubs where Pep has been, Barcelona, the best team in that division so can attract the best players, Bayern Munich, he went there, and he can attract the best players, pay the best wages and now he’s at Manchester City, so he can go do that as well.
“So the reason I say Klopp is he did it at Dortmund where they weren’t the best team, signing Immobile, Reus, Mkhitaryan, Aubameyang, Ginter, Sokratis, Gundogan, Persic, Hummels, Lewandowski who are all fantastic players and went and played, but were all sold for profit whatever it may be.
“And at Liverpool, signing Van Dijk, Keita, Alisson, Salah, Mane, Fabinho, Wijnaldum, Shaqiri, Robertson, he has kind have built a team, started it again and that’s the point I’m trying to make.
“And when Pep went to Manchester City, he has done a brilliant job by the way I’m not criticising him, he did a brilliant job last season with the football they played, but the spine was there, but I think at Liverpool he kind of built it, rebuilt it and has had success.
“Second in the Premier League, still not won it, but to win the Champions League and two finals in a row with a side he has kind of rebuilt!”
OPINION
Gough may have a point here. Klopp has welcomed several new faces to the Reds since succeeding Brendan Rodgers as manager in 2015. Several of Klopp’s signings have turned out to be masterstrokes and why shouldn’t he be praised for that. For example, Klopp welcomed Mohamed Salah to the club in 2017 from AS Roma and where would Liverpool be without him? The 27-year-old has won the Premier League golden boot in his last two season and he also won the Premier League’s Player of the Year in his 2017/18 campaign (Source: Transfermarkt). Salah also notably scored five goals in his 12 Champions League outings in his latest campaign to help the Reds go all the way and lift the cup. Salah isn’t the only fantastic signing Klopp has made, and it’s easy to pick out any of the German boss’ recruits in recent memory and rave about their impact, and this is a testament to how good the Liverpool boss is in the transfer market.
