Jurgen Klopp rattled by Newcastle United's ambitions

Liverpool’s manager, speaking ahead of tomorrow’s game against Premier League champions City at Anfield, says his club can’t compete financially with the trio.

Newcastle, 80%-owned by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund following a takeover last year, are looking to challenge for trophies and Champions League football.

Liverpool have won the Premier League and Champions League in recent years, but the club, owned by Fenway Sports Group, can’t compete with City financially, according to Klopp.

Asked how Liverpool can keep pace with Abu Dhabi United Group-owned City, Klopp said: “Oh, you won’t like the answer. Nobody can compete with City in that.

“You have the best team in the world, and you put in the best striker on the market (Erling Haaland), no matter what it costs, you just do it. What does Liverpool do? We cannot act like them. It’s not possible.

“There are three clubs in world football who can do what they want financially. It’s legal and everything, fine, but they can do what they want.

“We have to look at it (and say) ‘we need that, and we need that, and we have to look here and make it younger, and here a prospect and here a talent’. That’s what you have to do.

"And you compete with them. You have to compete with them. It’s not a problem at all for me, it is like it is.”

Dan Ashworth, Newcastle’s new sporting director, this week said there was “no ceiling” on the club’s ambitions following a £305million takeover last year.

Ashworth said: “I don't think there’s a ceiling. But I pause, because I know how good the others are. If you look at Man City, Chelsea, Arsenal – how good their squads and infrastructure is – they’re some clubs to catch.”

Klopp, speaking ahead of tomorrow’s game against City at Anfield, said: “I heard now that at Newcastle somebody said ‘there is no ceiling for this club’.

"Yes, he’s absolutely right. There’s no ceiling for Newcastle. Congratulations. But some other clubs have ceilings.”