Didi Hamann has questioned whether Liverpool can match Jurgen Klopp’s ambition as they are now “a top six or top seven team”.
The Reds turned in a disappointing performance as Brentford beat them 3-1 in the Premier League on Monday night with Klopp’s side remaining in sixth place in the table.
Liverpool are four points behind fourth-placed Manchester United but Erik ten Hag’s side have a game in hand as the race for the Champions League places heats up.
When asked if Liverpool can still get into the top four, Hamann said on talkSPORT: “They’ve got a chance obviously, if you go back two or three months things looked a look bleaker than they do now.
“They won four on the spin, apart from yesterday, they’ve got a chance.
“I think it’ll be hard to finish in the top four, the way Newcastle are going at the moment, you feel that after Man City and Newcastle, it’s a race between 16 other teams and Liverpool to win the mini league of 17.
“Those three positions occupied.”
Klopp and his recruitment team have done well to keep their net spend down during his time at the club but now Jamie Carragher and other pundits and fans think Liverpool must start to spend more money if they want to challenge for the title again soon.
And former Liverpool midfielder Hamann reckons Klopp “needs to build a new team” but he wonders whether his compatriot has the “hunger” or the Reds have the money.
Hamann added: “Klopp needs to build a new team. The question will be has he got the desire, the hunger and the energy to do that because they haven’t got the financial power the other teams have got,” he said.
“The manager worked wonders with a net spend he’s had over the last five or six seasons, but times have changed again in the last four or five years.
“Players who cost £35million a few years ago, they cost £70-80m these days and Liverpool are not prepared to do that.
“The question is has he got the desire, the hunger and the energy to deal with the financial differences between the top teams to compete over the next few years?
“They might get in the top four but then again, moving forward, where they are is probably how good they are. At the moment they are probably not a top four team.
“At the moment they’re a top six or top seven team and I don’t think that’s his ambition over the next few years if he stays at Liverpool.”
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