Jürgen Klopp believes Liverpool are "already pretty much done" with their transfer business although the summer window does not open for another two months.

The Reds ended their Premier League campaign with a 3-0 victory over Middlesbrough to qualify for the Champions League, handing a huge boost to the club's hopes of landing their top targets.

The success of moves for players such as RB Leipzig's Naby Keïta and Southampton defender Virgil van Dijk were thought to hinge on whether Liverpool earned a top-four spot.

While they still have a play-off round qualifier to contend with in August, Klopp's charges are now within distance of going head-to-head with the best teams on the continent again.

But in spite of that, Klopp insists Liverpool have been working on transfers for several months and that they simply need to make decisions and wrap up negotiations in order to conclude their work.

"We will be ready to compete for the Champions League"

"We are already pretty much done," he said in the aftermath of the win over Boro, revealing that he would soon sit down with sporting director Michael Edwards to discuss what the club needs.

But he added: "Most of the work is already done. Now we have decisions that need to be done, negotiations or whatever. But it’s all good and we are prepared and we will see what will work out and what won’t."

Klopp noted that there "is no training in the next few weeks" and that he has "a little bit of work to do" but insisted it is only "a few phone calls and a little bit of talking about wonderful things like football, Liverpool and other things so it's good."

Asked about the Reds' budget for their summer business, he said that the club "have enough money" - explaining: "That's a difference, of course. We don’t hide more money then get it when we need it, it’s a normal business."

He acknowledged the interest in their transfer funds, stating that "of course it is interesting that there is money" but insisted that the Champions League is "the best tournament in Europe" and for Klopp himself "the best competition" with "nothing better maybe in the world."

"You want to be there and Liverpool needs to be there consistently," the German added, who was keen to warn that Liverpool are not "already in" because "qualification is qualification" but said that he, his staff and the players are all "already looking forward to it."

Klopp vowed that Liverpool "will be really strong" and "will really fight for it" because they "want to be there" in the group stages of the "fantastic" competition.

"I think in the last 10 years Liverpool was not part of it too often, three years ago once only maybe," the Reds boss reflected. "We should try everything to change this. We have to make steps and the step for us is to be around the best teams in the world because we are one of the best clubs."

Klopp added: "My target is always to be 100 per cent fit for the first match-day [of the 2017-18 season]. You cannot have the rhythm, but then the other team probably has the same situation. We have time and we will prepare seriously like we have to."

Reports suggest Reds are ready to spend big

Recent reports have indicated that Liverpool's owners, Fenway Sports Group, are prepared to spend over £100 million to improve Klopp's squad.

Southampon's van Dijk is considered worth around £50 million and is attracting interest from Manchester City and Chelsea among others, while Keita, Roma's Mohamed Salah and Arsenal's Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain are other rumoured targets.

Liverpool are thought to be keen on acquiring a world-class striker, though they are aware of the difficulties they will face in trying to attract any of Europe's hottest talents to Anfield.

The Reds were recently linked with a move for Kylian Mbappe and while no such offer has been made, Liverpool have shown interest in the prodigious French striker.

The 18-year-old was a target last summer though Monaco reportedly refused to do business with the Merseyside outfit, while Real Madrid are thought to have recently had a world-record £103 million bid rejected according to some reports.

Fulham teenager Ryan Sessegnon could also be recruited to increase competition for James Milner at left-back, with Liverpool aware of the need to bolster their squad to fight on four fronts next term.

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About the author
Charlie Malam
Digital Sports Writer at the Daily Express. First-class Staffordshire University Sports Journalism graduate. Formerly VAVEL UK's Liverpool FC editor and Deputy Editor-in-Chief. Contributor since June 2014.