Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has launched a staunch defence of the club's transfer policy in the wake of their top-four rivals each spending upwards of £75million this summer.

Premier League champions Manchester City – who are interested in the £150m-rated Tottenham striker Harry Kane – lead the way with the British record fee of £100m on Jack Grealish.

But Chelsea have just splashed £97.5m on bringing Romelu Lukaku back to the club and Manchester United spent £75m on Borussia Dortmund's young England winger Jadon Sancho.

"That's absolutely great news but it's just not spectacular out there. But if other teams wanted to sign these players they would pay a lot of money and we have them already.

"We have a really good squad together, it should be a better situation than last year so let's try to build on what we achieved last year and see where we end up."

Klopp said Van Dijk's new contract was a perfect example.

"Imagine if we would have had to buy this boy now – thank God we only had to give him a new contract," he said.