"I would drive him to the other club" – Jurgen Klopp makes incredible transfer claim as Liverpool miss out on UCL spot

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has suggested that he would personally drive any wantaway star if they requested to leave the club over a lack of UEFA Champions League action.

Liverpool have failed to achieve a top-four berth in the Premier League for the first time since the 2016-17 campaign. Despite their late push, Manchester United and Newcastle United have pipped the Reds to the third and fourth spots.

During a pre-match press conference, Klopp was asked about potential outgoings due to Liverpool's guaranteed fifth-placed finish in the ongoing 2022-23 Premier League. He responded by saying:

"If ever a player would come to me and said: 'We didn't qualify for the Champions League now I have to leave', then I would drive him to the other club. Like I would say, I would take the key [and ask him]: 'Where do you want to go? I will drive you there.' Because that would really be something I would never ever understand at all."

Stating that no Liverpool player has yet posed a question about leaving at the end of the season, Klopp continued:

"I would never say: 'Well, I need to work in the Champions League so now I go.' I am responsible for this mess or whatever, so I cannot go in these moments. It is not the case, not at all and nobody else asks me. They ask me if they can have an extra day off after their holidays or whatever, so that was not in our conversations."

Liverpool are set to finish in fifth spot this season, their lowest finish in the Premier League season since 2017. They are currently on 66 points from 37 games and are set to visit Southampton for their final match on Sunday, May 28.

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Liverpool star pops up on 3 Premier League clubs' radar: Reports

According to Irish Independent, Tottenham Hotspur are set to join Brighton & Hove Albion and Brentford FC in a race to sign Caoimhin Kelleher. Liverpool are willing to let their academy graduate leave for around £20 million this summer.

Kelleher, 24, has established himself as the Merseyside outfit's backup goalkeeper behind Alisson Becker since his professional debut in 2019. He has registered 10 clean sheets in 20 appearances for his boyhood club so far.

A right-footed shot-stopper blessed with reflexes and passing, Kelleher has been speculated to leave the Reds since the turn of the year. The 10-cap Republic of Ireland player is eager to secure first-team action at club level to become the first choice at the international level, with Southampton star Gavin Bazunu currently ahead in the pecking order.