Jurgen Klopp rejects claims Liverpool have become a selling club despite high-profile departures

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has rejected the idea that the Reds are a "selling club". The German has defended Liverpool's transfer policy after a new study claimed they are the biggest-selling club in Europe.

The research, led by Swiss research group CIES Football Observatory, found that Liverpool earned more money through transfer sales than any other club on the continent since 2010. In that time, the Reds have sold the likes of Luis Suarez, Raheem Sterling and Fernando Torres to Barcelona, Manchester City and Chelsea respectively.

However, Klopp does not accept that Liverpool have become a selling club, as has been suggested by some pundits. "There's no need to be a selling club. Nobody phones us and says, 'come on, sell him'. If everything is going well and that's the target, we won't have to buy another six next year," he explained, according to The Mirror.

"Change is sometimes good, but it's not that everybody was 100% happy with the money we earned [from previous sales]."

Meanwhile, Klopp revealed himself to be a long-time admirer of 30-year-old Estonian defender Ragnar Klavan, who joined Liverpool from German club Augsburg over the summer. "I saw him play when we played against them. I was surprised by Augsborg that they found a player like him," the Liverpool boss said of his summer acquisition.

"We didn't need a centre-half at Dortmund, that's why I didn't go for him then. When I came here and became aware of our situation. He was very early a real idea, because of his skills. He's a really good defender, with a fantastic plus of being a good footballer.

"With a little issue that he's not 21 anymore. It was a great opportunity. I did not have to convince him too much. I like to work with players that really want to come. Few people were surprised by the name as not many watch the Bundesliga here."