Liverpool's transfer stance after Kylian Mbappe sends message to Jurgen Klopp

Liverpool are facing a tough summer on the transfer front brought on by the global coronavirus pandemic.

The Reds had been linked to superstar names including Kylian Mbappe and Timo Werner, with both players talking up the club in recent months.

"This season, Liverpool have been a machine in the Premier League," said Mbappe. They have made winning look easy but the truth is that it is never easy.

"Performances like they have been having don't just happen. To be as ruthless as they have been would come from lots of hard work in training and from having a very good manager."

Werner, meanwhile, added: "Yes I know that Liverpool is the best team in the world at the moment.

"When you're linked with that team it makes you very proud but in case of that, it's a pleasure, but I know Liverpool have a lot of good players.

"I have to improve myself and to learn much more things to get on this level and to play there."

But this summer could come and go without occurrence for Liverpool due to the financial crisis inflicted on every club.

Liverpool are facing a shortfall in income of at least £100million over the next 12 months, meaning a deal for either Mbappe or Werner is off the table, for now.

The Reds are not prepared to pay more than £30m for Werner, while RB Leipzig are refusing to sell the German for less than his £50m release clause.

Leipzig CEO Oliver Mintzlaff recently announced: "It won't get any cheaper. We will not sell a player below value if he is under contract for more than a year.

"In general, we always ask the question: can we replace a player if we sell him for less than his market value?"

Mbappe would cost Liverpool even more, and for this reason a transfer is off the cards.

One way the Reds could generate money to make signings this summer is by selling players.

Xherdan Shaqiri, Harry Wilson and Marko Grujic were worth a combined £60m before the coronavirus crisis and were all set to be sold.

But their values have since dropped significantly, with the Reds unlikely to move any of them on due to other clubs tightening their purse strings.

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