Southampton vs. Liverpool: Reds defense captures the essence of Jurgen Klopp's Anfield project

"They have a long career ahead of them, which is cool, and at the moment they want to spend the majority of their careers here, which is good too," Jurgen Klopp told Melwood this week. following an interesting question. question – admittedly not by this journalist – about the diversity of Liverpool's defense.

It was interesting because the facts in the broad sense were not really taken into account, the eyes attracted by the record sums that attracted Klopp's attention to bring Virgil van Dijk and Alison Becker to Anfield, players who turned this area of ​​land into the point where it is almost unrecognizable.

The question, however, concerned the other three who play alongside them. Trent Alexander-Arnold, Joel Matip and Andy Robertson alone cost £ 8.5 million in transfer fees, which means that Liverpool's defense is certainly not the most expensive in the Premier League, nor by far if we consider the expenses of Manchester City. spent more than 300 million pounds to recruit not a defense but two.

Van Dijk, who is fit to play for Liverpool in his former club Southampton, could have chosen to go to City in the summer of 2017 and although he opted for Liverpool because of the persistence from Klopp as well as from the chart describing the possibilities at Anfield, it would be fascinating to compare the promises of the agent made by each of the clubs competing for the player's signature.

Of course, it was revealed yesterday that Liverpool – for the second consecutive year – had spent more money in agent fees than the others, ranking beyond City and occupying second place with nearly 20 £ million.

Such figures may be morally grotesque, but in sporting terms, this is partly explained by the number of major transfers sanctioned in Liverpool during this period (five against two at City) and partly by renewals. contract of Mohamed. Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane – agreements that Klopp considers just as important as any new recruit.

If you have listened carefully to Klopp in recent months and trusted his word, you understand that Liverpool's spending was a necessity to bring them closer (almost) to City.

You also think that Klopp will not repeat what he has done in the last 15 months and will just keep spending to keep Liverpool on his current trajectory.

He clearly thinks that this team and this team have a chance to stay together and realize their ambitions on Merseyside rather than bring them to Nou Camp, Etihad or Stamford Bridge – as they have done in the past.

Klopp may still be waiting for his first trophy, but one of his many successes in transforming Liverpool into a club that is feared across Europe is the feeling that he is no longer as vulnerable as he is. it was the other teams of the Premier League with more money, these. who are able to strengthen their own resolve while weakening Liverpool's by engaging their best players. Would one of Liverpool's stars leave for a national rival now?

Klopp thinks it's important that his team be composed of backgrounds that take different paths and involve different transfer fees.

"Having different characters always helps," said Klopp. "If you are all in the mainstream, in the same way, it is difficult. It's not important how much you cost or how much the price was. Virgil came here and it was a big step for him. He knew that he could improve, he wanted to improve. he was at Celtic and could win titles but this is the first club (in England) really where [he could do that]. He sees his future here now. Let's try everything that is possible to succeed.

"It was exactly the same for Robbo. This is not important if you are 7-8-10 M £. Joel was the same and he was on free transfer. Trent did not dream of anything else since he was born to be involved in something like that and that 's fine. These are all different ideas and characters. Joe [Gomez] is fit again too.

"In England, it's probably not the most expensive defense in the world, but it's a proper defense, really. That's all that matters. Wherever good players come from wherever they have been raised, no matter how early they dream, they are welcome here in Liverpool.

"Sometimes we can afford it, sometimes no. But now, I have the feeling that they form a group of players, not only the defense, but that they really stand between themselves and with the club in an exceptional way. They want to do the job 100%. "