Jurgen Klopp says it is difficult for Liverpool to compete with fellow big-spending Premier League clubs and Saudi Arabia's trolley-dash - but the German privately believes the Reds have pulled off one of the bargains of the transfer window in signing Japan captain Wataru Endo.
Liverpool confirmed the transfer of the Stuttgart midfielder on Friday subject to international clearance for around £16.2million on a contract that runs until 2027.
Endo becomes their third signing of the summer and solves a problem in the thin holding midfield department.
It comes after the Reds failed in public pursuits of big-money Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia, who both went to Chelsea, and Klopp says Liverpool will not use money as an excuse this season despite it being 'difficult' to compete with the financial muscle of other clubs.