Pep Guardiola has hit back at Jurgen Klopp’s comments on Manchester City’s spending in the transfer market, rejecting the notion that Liverpool cannot compete with the Premier League champions financially.
The Reds have been relatively quiet in the summer window in terms of signing new players, with teenage starlets Sepp van den Berg and Harvey Elliott the only fresh arrivals at Anfield so far.
City, on the other hand, shelled out a club-record fee of £62.8 million to bring Spanish midfielder Rodri to the Etihad Stadium from Atletico Madrid earlier this month, after identifying the need to bring in cover for 34-year-old Fernandinho in midfield.
Klopp has defended Liverpool’s lack of activity in the market by claiming that only City, Paris Saint Germain, Real Madrid and Barcelona can “constantly” bring in the world’s biggest names.
The German boss will take his side to Wembley on Sunday to face off against Guardiola’s side in the Community Shield and his counterpart has come out to try and set the record straight.
The City manager dismissed Klopp’s comments as “not true” before insisting that he “cannot spend £200m every season” at the Etihad.
“It bothers me because it’s not true that we spend hundreds of millions every transfer window,” Guardiola said at a press conference on Friday.
“We cannot spend £200m every season. That is the reality. Other managers can say what they say but I can only say that is not true.”
City’s Chief Operating Officer Omar Berrada also took umbrage with Klopp’s remarks earlier in the day, stating: “I don’t know why they would make these comments.
“I don’t know why they would look at other clubs.
“It’s not frustration or anger, we just find it curious that they’d be highlighting our spending.
“Saying us, PSG, Real Madrid and Barcelona always invest £200m is not correct.”
After taking on the Reds at Wembley this weekend, Guardiola and his squad will switch their attention to their first fixture of the 2019-20 campaign.
City will be aiming to kick off their latest title defence in solid fashion when they travel to the London Stadium to face West Ham on August 10, before negotiating a home clash against Tottenham seven days later. (AFP)
