Liverpool won a first Premier League title after Man City dropped points at Stamford Bridge on Thursday
Sunday 28 June 2020 14:01, UK
Liverpool do not need to strengthen this summer as they already have the pieces in place to dominate English football for the next few years, according to the Daily Mirror's David Maddock.
Jurgen Klopp's side secured a 19th top-flight title following Manchester City's 2-1 defeat at Chelsea on Thursday night - and a first since 1990 - and now the planning starts on how to build on that success.
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The German managed to guide his previous club, Borussia Dortmund, to back-to-back Bundesliga triumphs in 2011 and 2012, however, Maddock does not believe he needs - or even wants - to spend big this summer to keep Liverpool on top.
"I do not think they do strengthen too much because football is in financial crisis and Liverpool as a club are very aware of that," the Mirror's Northern Football Correspondent.
"They did not spend much last summer, not even £10m over the two windows, and I do not see that they need to go out and splash the money that they have not got.
"Over the next year, without football fans, the top five or six clubs in the Premier League could potentially lose £100m-£150m of income that they thought was guaranteed. And they will have fixed outgoings.
Klopp realises he has a team and a squad that has a lot of good young players at the moment and it has players at their absolute peak and will be at their peak for the next two or three years
"So in that sense it is difficult to see any clubs really spending absolutely huge amounts of money, which is what Liverpool would have to do if they really did want to strengthen because the side they have got, how you strengthen on that? It is very difficult, really you are talking about squad depth and not the side.
"I do not think Klopp needs to strengthen and I do not particularly believe he wants to. Last summer I sat down with him and I remember him saying that in his career with Dortmund, he had never actually had the chance to keep a side that had been successful because every team he created was then cherry picked by some bigger clubs.
"And last summer he said he had the chance to keep all his players - (Mohamed) Salah, (Sadio) Mane and (Virgil) Van Dijk - and base the team around them. And they are all still at really good ages."
Liverpool's recruitment - spearheaded by much-heralded sporting director Michael Edwards - has been so impressive that Klopp has a wonderful blend of youth and experience at his disposal for next few years.
As such, Maddock feels as long as the players maintain their current levels of hunger and desire to improve, the club will remain on their perch for the foreseeable future.
"Klopp himself has a contract until 2024 and I think he realises he has a team and a squad that has a lot of good young players at the moment and it has players at their absolute peak and will be at their peak for the next two or three years," Maddock added.
"So I do not think he needs to mess with that too much, he needs to keep the mentality that they have and that is the key to whether they can have more success going forward.
"But they are a perfect age, the likes of Henderson still has several years left in him as a leader. And then the front three certainly have two or three years left, there are younger players coming through - (Trent) Alexander-Arnold, (Joe) Gomez, (Takumi) Minamino, Naby Keita is still a decent age.
"So they all have a lot still to offer and I can see them dominating for two or three years and then it is the next generation coming through, Harvey Elliott, Curtis Jones, Neco Williams at right-back. They are younger players, teenagers still, and they are the ones that then have to provide the next level. But that is a big ask for them.
"But I honestly think Klopp has the players already to have success and keep it going."
Watch Manchester City vs Liverpool live on Sky Sports Premier League on Thursday from 8pm; Kick-off at 8:15pm
