The real Liverpool legacy - how Klopp levelled the playing field against England's richest clubs

Should Liverpool win their remaining game of the Premier League season on Sunday when they face Wolves at Anfield, Jürgen Klopp’s side will finish the campaign on 82 points. Although that would not be enough to win the league title or even finish second, it will be the club’s fifth best points tally in the competition in the last 15 years. And, perhaps, a good example of just how far Liverpool have come under their German head coach over the course of the last nine seasons. 

Indeed, as Klopp bids farewell to Liverpool fans on Sunday, many will speculate over the kind of legacy the former Borussia Dortmund head coach leaves behind at Anfield. Over the course of his time at the club, Klopp won one FA Cup, one Premier League, one Champions League and two League Cup trophies. Alongside reaching two more Champions League finals and the Europa League final in 2016. Five trophies in nine seasons is no bad return, but it also doesn’t exactly suggest that Klopp may depart Anfield as one of Liverpool and the Premier League’s greatest ever managers. 

That is, of course, unless we consider the context surrounding Klopp’s time at Liverpool. Although the club are considered one of the biggest in the world and are now regular title challengers in the Premier League and Champions League, they were far from that when the German manager arrived at Anfield in 2015. And in many ways it was the manner in which Klopp helped Liverpool make the step up and challenge Europe’s richest clubs that will likely be remembered as his real legacy at the club. 

How Klopp helped Liverpool punch above their weight 

Since Klopp arrived in 2015, Liverpool have spent no less than €1.06 billion on new signings. That may seem like a lot, but it’s actually more or less comparable to Tottenham Hotspur (€1.08b) in that period of time and, crucially, considerably behind England’s four richest clubs. In the past nine seasons, Arsenal have spent €150m more on transfer fees, Manchester United have spent €450m more, Manchester City have forked out an extra €660m and Chelsea have spent a remarkable €1.13b more than Klopp’s side. And all but one of those clubs have won fewer major trophies in that period of time than Klopp’s Liverpool. 

When we focus on performances in the Premier League, we can actually see how far the money spent has gone at each club and once again Klopp’s impressive performances at Liverpool are clear for all to see. On average, Liverpool have spent €8.72m on transfer fees for each point won in the English top-flight since 2015, which comes in slightly below Arsenal (€9.91m) and considerably less than what Man City (11.16m), Man Utd (€12.97m) and Chelsea (€16.56m) have spent to get ahead in the Premier League in that period of time. As we’ve all become accustomed to, Liverpool have always gotten more from less under Klopp to a remarkable degree. 

Naturally, one league title in nine seasons may seem far from ideal for Klopp when we compare him to what Pep Guardiola has achieved in that time, but when we consider the financial constraints the Liverpool manager has been under it makes the club’s ability to stay competitive with Man City all the more remarkable. And doing so while playing exciting, attacking football is clearly why fans of the Anfield club have warmed to their manager for so many years. Klopp was no miracle worker at Liverpool, but he did level the playing ground for his teams with smart tactics and the belief his players had for him. He allowed the Anfield side to punch up and reach beyond what anyone should have ever thought they were capable of. And that’s why he’ll be sorely missed at the club next season.