Sander Berge state of play as Liverpool boss appears to rule out Sheffield United approach

The former Premier League champions were mentioned in connection with a swoop for Berge, a player Klopp has previously been impressed by during his time in Belgium with Genk.

Reports suggested Klopp could make a move for Berge if Keita leaves ahead of the deadline, with his contract running down and talks over an extension failing to reach a positive conclusion.

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But the German appeared to quash such talk by insisting Keita is going nowhere – with the caveat that if he does leave, a replacement will need to be signed.

“Selling Naby now and not replacing him? No, that is not possible. Of course not. It is not the plan,” Klopp said.

“We’re not dumb. A player can go and we don’t replace him? No. Naby will not go but if he would, which he will not do, there would be a replacement of course.”

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Injuries to Thiago, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Curtis Jones have hit Klopp’s side hard, while Berge has begun the season in good form with a widely-expected summer move still to materialise.

The Norwegian international has a £35m clause in his contract which would trigger his release, but bids well below that mark have already been rejected this summer from Club Brugge as United look to reclaim the Premier League status they surrendered last April.

“We always look to strengthen,” Klopp added. “We always did that but it must be the right player and if the right player is not available in this moment, then we deal with what we have rather than sign not the right player.

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“This situation did not change. Now we have more injuries than we would have imagined. It would be cool to have a new midfielder in, of course. We don’t know when the boys come back, stuff like that. Things change constantly.

“There is another fact that I am not in charge of what we can spend. We get things told to us. Then we deal with it. That is always the same, never different.

“I always have to accept that and always did.”

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