Jurgen Klopp has ruled out a move for Real Madrid ace Gareth Bale this summer, but has acknowledged that the Welshman is “outstanding”.
The 30-year-old has become something of an outsider in the Spanish capital, as reported by the BBC, and former Liverpool midfielder Paul Ince has urged the Reds to swoop for him this summer, as reported by the same outlet.
But Klopp has rubbished any possibility of that happening.
As quoted by Sky Sports, he said: “Bale is a Real Madrid player and if he leaves it will be outstandingly expensive and big wages.
“He is an outstanding player, I like him a lot but it is not about him. You have to create a team. A team is not a collection of the best individual players, they have to work together.
“Liverpool is a long-term project. The team is really good. Will there be difficult situations? Probably. There would be if we bring in a new player, or two or three. I didn’t say we won’t do anything, it is going to be a big window for sure but people don’t think about the people who are already in.”
OPINION
As far as transfer rumours go, most Liverpool fans will have written off the prospect of signing Gareth Bale some time ago. The Welshman will be on extortionate wages at Real, and the chances of Jurgen Klopp breaking ranks and suddenly going hell for leather on a marquee signing after such a quiet summer seem rather unlikely. Still, there is an interesting subtext to his comments in his passing remark at this summer being a “big window”. By that, does he mean there are still signings in the works that could be complete before the start of the new season? Or does he simply mean that keeping his squad together represents a success in his book? Most fans will hope for the former, but in truth, there is a lot to be said on the virtues of the latter. This is some team the German has built, and bringing in a player as eye-catching as Bale, for instance, could risk disrupting his side substantially.
