Watch Chelsea vs Liverpool from 4pm on Sunday on Sky Sports Premier League; kick-off 4.30pm
Friday 18 September 2020 08:56, UK
Jurgen Klopp has fired an ominous warning to Liverpool’s Premier League title rivals by saying his side are ready to evolve to face any new challenges this season.
Liverpool may have lifted their first title in 30 years last term, breaking a host of records along the way, but the German boss is ready for the threat from a number of sides looking to wrestle the trophy away from Merseyside.
"It's completely normal that we have to make another step because other teams will make other steps as well," Klopp exclusively told Sky Sports News.
"It has nothing to do with being champions, we constantly try not to develop but to find solutions to the new challenges before we have the problems with them. That's how football works.
"But a lot of the good things we did, first and foremost we have to show again so it's not only about changing things it's about finding the right approach and plan again for this season."
While Liverpool look set to add just their second summer signing to their squad with the arrival of Thiago Alcantara from Bayern Munich, other clubs have spent heavily in an attempt to close the gap this term.
Sunday's opponents Chelsea have spent more than £200m on new recruits in a summer of Stamford Bridge rebuilding and although Klopp insists Liverpool were different from "clubs owned by countries and oligarchs", he has no problem with how Chelsea boss Frank Lampard, or any club, do their business.
"Between Frank (Lampard) and me there is absolutely nothing - I admired him and loved him as a player and now he is doing a really good job as a coach," Klopp said.
"So I can't help you with some 'rivalry' between us, we will obviously be rivals on Sunday but apart from that it's all good.
"We are different clubs, leading in a different way, that's how it is - we invest what we earn and sometimes we invest before we earn but it's still based on these kind of things and it's not like this for other clubs.
"Whatever they do though I am completely fine with that - they can all do what they want and it's a free world. We have our way of dealing with the club."
Klopp is wary of the threat Chelsea will pose, not just this season but in the years to come, as he prepares his side for a trip to the capital on Sunday, live on Sky Sports Premier League.
"There's plenty of threats, they've signed really well and already had an unbelievably good team," added Klopp. "We had to suffer a lot against them in the games last season.
"Christian Pulisic obviously wasn't involved but he'll probably be fit for the game, Mason Mount and I know Kai Havertz from the Bundesliga - he will play a proper role this season.
"There's so many good players up front, in midfield, the defensive line and the full-backs - there's not a biggest threat, Chelsea themselves are the threat - that's how it is in football."
Sky Sports' Adam Bate:
The commentator was just saying how comfortable Paris Saint-Germain were looking when it happened. "They are quite happy for Bayern to have the ball in their half," he said. But it was at that precise moment that Thiago Alcantara weaved his magic, firing a crisp pass between the lines.
The ball was in the back of the net seconds later. The goal was enough to win the 2020 Champions League for Bayern Munich and while scorer Kingsley Coman was the official man of the match, the role of Thiago in the team's triumph escaped absolutely no one.
At 29 and reluctant to sign a new contract, Bayern realised they might have to sell. Liverpool are now ready to pounce and it is easy to see why the move might appeal. Jurgen Klopp's side can do almost anything. But they cannot do what Thiago can do…
Read the full feature on what Thiago would offer Liverpool here
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