Liverpool’s net spend since 2015 highlights Jurgen Klopp’s remarkable job

Liverpool’s net spend under owners FSG has always come under scrutiny when compared to our rivals, and the stats show just how impressive Jurgen Klopp has been at Anfield.

Working within a budget was nothing new to Klopp when he arrived in 2015, and he’s consistently acknowledged over the years that Liverpool cannot operate like others in the topflight.

“We cannot spend money we don’t have. We cannot, the others can, but we can’t,” Klopp said back in 2021.

Despite the limits, though, Liverpool have been quite successful under the German and, as we recently noted, you would only have to change four results to see two major trophies turn into six.

The margin has been so very small when it comes to silverware, but Sky Sports’ recent graphic comparing net spend and trophies to the ‘big six’ paints an intriguing picture.

Major trophies vs money spent since Jurgen Klopp's appointment at Liverpool ?? pic.twitter.com/PDWCGgFJxJ

— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) May 5, 2024

Since Klopp arrived in October 2015, Liverpool’s net spend sits at £346 million, the lowest of the ‘big six’ but with the second-most major trophies (seven).

Man City, who face 115 breaches of Premier League financial regulations, have won 15 trophies in the same amount of time but with a net spend of £630 million.

Comparatively, Chelsea and Man United both sit in the £1 billion club but with six and four trophies respectively, while Arsenal won two with a net spend slightly more than Liverpool’s (£702 million).

There’s plenty of nuance within these stats, but it does go to show the incredible job Klopp has done at Liverpool operating within a self-sustaining structure, whilst competing against a financially-doped side.

The squad Klopp inherited had to be rebuilt, and he did it slowly but effectively, making his side greater than the sum of their parts before he could reinvest funds from sales into transfers.

In a different era and as abovementioned with four different results, Liverpool’s trophy tally could look a lot different to what it does, but few other managers could have propelled the club to the heights Klopp has.