Liverpool's German coach, Jürgen Klopp, defended the hefty financial deal to sign Uruguay international striker Darwin Nunez from Portuguese club Benfica this summer. Klopp, currently with the "Reds" on a pre-season tour in Singapore, faced questions from journalists about a past comment he made in 2018, stating he did not want to spend £100 million on a single player.
Fans previously mocked the German coach after his club agreed to a deal with Benfica to purchase Nunez for a substantial amount nearing £85 million with bonuses. However, Klopp dismissed the question, stating that the transfer market has changed since he made those comments.
"When you want to sign such an exciting striker like Darwin, that’s the market, and you have to pay the price," Klopp said. He added, "I have said many things in my life that later caught my attention and showed me how quickly life can change."
Nunez faced heavy criticism on social media following a lackluster performance in his first match with Liverpool, where he missed an easy goal in the match that his team lost 0-4 against Manchester United in Bangkok last Tuesday. Klopp deemed the criticism of his new player to be unfair, expressing his support for the Uruguayan to perform well for the Vice Champions of England and Europe.
The German coach emphasized that "the only important thing is how I judge the situation, and I couldn't be calmer or more convinced of his abilities." He downplayed the significance of the heavy loss against their bitter rivals United, insisting that "his focus wasn't on the results but on preparing his players for the upcoming season."
