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Jurgen Klopp believes his Liverpool team can be a “real challenger” - despite the absence of big-name signings in the summer transfer window.

The Reds boss has moved to reassure supporters concerned about the lack of so-called marquee signings from his business so far.

Sadio Mane represents the only major investment in this window at £30m with Marko Grujic (£5.5m), Loris Karius (£4.5m) and Joel Matip (free) completing the new arrivals at Melwood.

Klopp insisted there was no point in Liverpool going for players who the club simply couldn’t get and admitted: “I cannot make the transfers everyone wants”.

The Reds boss said the absence of European football was a factor but believes the focus must be on the Reds creating their own team, based on last season’s core.

Klopp said: “This period in every year is one of a lot of expectations.

“Everyone expects big names and a big improvement because of big names and if you don’t know the players it’s like ‘what are we doing? what are they doing?’

“Some clubs have already done a lot but you cannot prove in this moment what’s really right. What you have to do is prepare the new season.

“At the moment nobody thinks about the good games we played last season or the bad games.

“They only think Manchester United have taken this player or Manchester City have take this player and we have taken ‘what is the name?’ and that is it. This moment for us it is about creating and building a team for next year. We have to prove our thoughts about the team work.”

One big name Liverpool were linked with early in the summer was Germany’s Mario Gotze with discussions taking place prior to the start of Euro 2016.

The player of course came through at Borussia Dortmund under Klopp but it is understood he was still keen to keep his options open until after the tournament.

Liverpool weren’t prepared to wait as a potential second choice for the Bayern Munich man who now appears destined to return to Dortmund after a distinctly underwhelming Euros.

They moved on to Sadio Mane who in contrast was immediately keen to make the move to Anfield.

Klopp believes there is no need for wholesale changes from last year’s team and saw enough at times in the season to think a strong core is already there.

“We can talk about the one or two disadvantages that we have. We are not in the Champions League, we are not in the Europa League. That possibly means for one player ‘I want to play in the Champions League or European football or whatever so I cannot join Liverpool’.

“We have to build our own squad and the base for this squad is the team from last year. For us it is not a moment to change a whole team, there is no reason for it. Absolutely not.

“If you want you can look at the second half of the Europa League final but there were other games especially in the European league where you can say this team - plus some new transfers - it could be really strong. They could be a real challenger.

“If we go for players and there is obviously there is no chance, there is no point. Look for players you can have and make the best of it. I am 100% happy with the guys we have brought in until now. Karius is a wonderful goalkeeper, he is still a big talent, he is pretty young but has experience and from the German goalkeeper school which is not too bad.

“Joel Matip, he has played five or six years in a row at the highest level, big development and is a free agent so it was a wonderful transfer. Sadio Mane. There is no doubt about him. He could fit in each Champions League team but he is here because he wanted to come here.

We could have got European football, that is clear

“We didn’t have to convince them that Liverpool is not as bad as everyone says, no. It was a call – and we thought a lot about it, not just because they wanted to come – and it was ‘we want to join this team, this team is strong and we want to help it reach a lot of things in the future. We believe in the strength of the team, the club and the manager’.

"That is what we have to take. Show that we have a strong base with a few add ons and improvement of the players that are still here.”

Despite Liverpool’s eight place finish in the Premier League, Klopp is certain his side could have finished higher if priority had not been given to the thrilling run to the Europa League final.

He said: “We have to build a special bond. It is using experience, using the base and not killing the base and starting completely new. We can say yes we were only eighth in the league and that is not too good, but we could have got European football, that is clear.

“You take from it and you make decisions and then go for it. That is what we are doing in the moment. I cannot make the transfers everyone wants.”