Jurgen Klopp says Liverpool players wanting Champions League football can go

Jurgen Klopp says he would personally drive any of his Liverpool players to their preferred destination if they wanted to quit because the club have failed to qualify for next season’s Champions League.

But Klopp has no concerns that Mo Salah may be eyeing a move elsewhere after the Egyptian star posted a strongly-worded reaction on social media soon after Manchester United’s win over Chelsea ended Liverpool’s top-four hopes.

It is the first time the Merseyside club have failed to qualify for European football’s top club competition since 2017, and is a huge blow both to their income and prestige.

They have lifted the trophy six times and reached three finals under Klopp, and this could have a negative impact on their chances of landing summer transfer targets.

Salah said: “We let you [fans] and ourselves down. We had everything we needed to make it to next year’s Champions League and we failed. We are Liverpool and qualifying to the competition is the bare minimum. I am sorry but it’s too soon for an uplifting or optimistic post.”

But Klopp is adopting a bullish approach. “I have no worries [that Salah will go], no. I only heard what he said but I couldn’t read anything that could lead in that direction,” he said.

“Mo loves being here and Mo was just apologising for what ‘we’ did. It was just a normal description of his feeling and in that moment after the [United] game he’s right. It’s not the moment to immediately send optimistic messages. We all think like Mo about it – we are absolutely not happy that we have not qualified.

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“But I saw him just now in the canteen and he was smiling. I don’t know for which reason as I didn’t ask him, but he is not in a bad mood.

“If ever a player came to me and said ‘oh we didn’t qualify for the Champions League, I have to leave,’ I would drive him to the other club myself. I would take the key, and say ‘come in the car, where do you want to go? I drive you.’ That would be something I could never understand.

“It is not the case with Mo, not at all, and nobody else told me that either – they might ask if they can have a longer holiday or whatever – but nobody asks me if after the holiday they have to come back here. So that was not in our conversation.”

Klopp insists he will embrace the Europa League next season when he is confident about a return to normal service for Liverpool after a year without a trophy.

Premier League table

As he prepared for the rarity of a final game at Southampton tomorrow (Sun) without anything riding on it, he added: “I love European football regardless of the competition. We will go for it. We didn’t deliver what everybody expected or wanted but I find a lot of reasons for optimism.

“The unity between us and the supporters is so important. We have created this atmosphere and I love that. It will be a trampoline for us and that for me is the trophy we have won this year.”