Klopp doubts Mkhitarayan development; denies he was a target

Cape Town – Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has explained the thinking behind his decision not to rival Manchester United for the signature of Henrikh Mkhitaryan.

“The most important thing is how they can play football: talent, skill, potential but then character is very important”.

However, Klopp clearly was eager that his squad prepare together for the new term whether injured or not. “So I want them to do the things because they want to do it, that’s all”.

I am not interested in the money of the players.

Chelsea midfielder Fabregas went into the Liverpool dressing room to apologise for a late tackle on defender Ragnar Klavan, and asked if his dismissal was fair he said: “The way the ref was giving yellow cards, probably yes”.

Klopp has added four players this summer transfer window; with more additions expected.

“I knew quite early that he was going this way (to Old Trafford)”.

“But we’ve seen before with Jurgen Klopp at Dortmund how he can take a collection of players and mould them into a team”.

Grujic – who was otherwise having a good game for the Merseyside club – is worrying his manager with not being able to recollect a lot of recent events. “We built this team to be successful”. “It can happen. It is unlucky but it is not good for us”.

“It is not about being creative because creative is cool or something, it is about finding the players who can make the next step with us”.

“Now I think it is a week or more he has been out”.

The Spain global slid in and caught the new signing on the top of his foot in the second half of the Blues’ 1-0 win and the referee Baldomero Toledo immediately brandished a red card.

Klopp also revealed that Marko Grujic had been taken to hospital with suspected concussion following a clash of heads with Bertrand Traore.

Liverpool are now participating in the International Champions Cup, and their next game is on Saturday against AC Milan at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.

“It’s odd really, being so far away and then your club rolls into town with so many familiar faces”, he said.