Jurgen Klopp appears set to spend €100 million on Darwin Nunez, but as he claimed six years ago, he will never sign a player for £100 million.
Klopp has had a stunning impact on Liverpool since joining them in 2015, transforming them into one of the top teams in the world and bringing them within two wins of completing the quadruple.
He's done it by signing and developing good players, all to play in his system, and ensuring that players understand their roles, while spending significantly less than their competitors.
However, with reports that Nunez might join the Premier League runners-up from Benfica in the coming days, the Premier League runners-up look set to break their transfer record.
Liverpool is expected to spend €80 million upfront and a further €20 million on add-ons, making him roughly £10 million more expensive than Virgil van Dijk.
It's a significant investment for Klopp, especially given his opposition to spending £100 million in 2016, when Manchester United spent €105 million on Paul Pogba.
"If you spend £100 million on one player and he gets hurt, everything goes down the chimney," the German said at the time.
"I don't have a job on days when it's football, because the game is all about teamwork.
"Everyone in football understands it this way. You always want the best, but to be successful, you need to form a group.
Nunez is anticipated to join Liverpool in the near future. Image credit
"Other clubs have the financial resources to spend more money on elite players. I'd like to do things differently. If I had that much money, I would do things differently.
"Nobody has told me, 'No, you can't do this,' so I don't know how much money we could spend.
"If I spend money, it's because I'm attempting to form a true team. Barcelona was the first to do it. You can win championships and titles, but you must do so in a specific manner."
Klopp would not have made Pogba's transfer. Image credit
While Nunez's transfer wouldn't break Klopp's bank, it's worth remembering that neither did Pogba's, despite the fact that the Frenchman cost United more than Nunez.
With his arrival, the 22-year-old will become the fourth most expensive player in Premier League history, behind only Jack Grealish, Romelu Lukaku, and Paul Pogba.
While Liverpool's net spending is lower than that of Manchester City, Manchester United, and Chelsea, Klopp already has the second most expensive defender in the world in Van Dijk, who was the most expensive when he signed him, and the same goes for goalkeepers, with Kepa Arrizabalaga breaking Alisson's record.
Klopp also stated in 2016 that he wants to sign players who were not on everyone else's radar, adding, "If you all swim in the same water, the pool is too narrow - you all go after the same guys."
"There are a lot of good athletes outside that pool who are ready to advance in their careers." We make every effort to locate them."
Nunez appeared to be on his way to United until the Reds got their hands on him, whereas Luis Diaz was only signed in January after Tottenham Hotspur looked destined to obtain the Colombian.
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