JURGEN KLOPP MAKES SUBTLE DIG ON CHELSEA'S RECENT SPENDING SPREE

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Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp admits he cannot explain Chelsea’s recent spending spree, and says he would rather focus “coaching, developing and team building” instead.

Since the consortium led by billionaire Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital took over the Blues in the summer, they have spent over £400m, with £140m of that arriving in the past 15 days and maybe more to come before the end of this January window.

This is significantly more than Liverpool or any other Premier League team has spent this season.

Liverpool have only signed Benfica forward Darwin Nunez for an initial £64m – which could rise to a club-record £85m with add-ons – and youngsters Fabio Carvalho (from Fulham for £5m) and Calvin Ramsay (from Aberdeen for £6.5m), have added £38m PSV Eindhoven forward Cody Gakpo as likely their only January transfer.

On whether Chelsea’s spending made the challenge for the Premier League top four more difficult Klopp said: “Maybe. I’m not sure how you want to phrase it, but it might grow worse or better.

“Interesting (the spending). I cannot explain it, I have no idea. But if the numbers are true then it’s impressive.

“I don’t think Chelsea can do this in the same manner for the next 10 years – I don’t know, maybe they can.

“Other teams will have ups and downs and we just have to be there. I can’t see investment stopping in the future and that means we have to do it as well.

“We don’t talk about now because it’s always slightly different, but in general. I believe in coaching, I believe in developing, I believe in team-building and using those things 100 per cent.

“Meanwhile there are so many good managers out there it’s crazy so they believe in that as well – and if they start really properly spending and do those things as well, then you cannot not spend or you will have a little bit of a problem.

“The moment you build a new team, it doesn’t mean you have to build it every year new, (you) give players the chance to make the next step.

The German will celebrate his 1,000th match as a manager on Saturday when Liverpool play Chelsea.