Jurgen Klopp has warned Liverpool cannot afford to be left behind this summer as he highlighted the danger the recruitment of their rivals represents.
Liverpool are in transition and the scrutiny on them has been intensified after they were skewered by Real Madrid, the 5-2 defeat putting them on the brink of Champions League elimination.
With domestic form erratic, there is no guarantee they will be in that competition next season.
Klopp knew a bump in the road was coming and that is why he signed a contract last April that runs until 2026.