Liverpool Planning Significant Summer Spending – Ian Ayre

Liverpool managing director Ian Ayre says the club are planning significant spending in the summer transfer window in order to manage the demands presented by playing in the Champions League.

Victory over Norwich City on Easter Sunday saw The Reds go five points clear of second place Chelsea and confirmed a return to Europe's premier club competition for the first time since 2009.

Brendan Rodgers' side's pursuit of the Premier League title has been made all the easier by their failure to qualify for Europe last season, and the new campaign will force Liverpool to juggle top tier continental competition with domestic commitments for the first time under the Northern Irishman.

Rodgers signed eight new players in the summer transfer window and managing director Ayre says the club will make further additions in the off season in order to contend with the added workload next term but that the manager is yet to firm up his targets.

"There is no question we always expected that the squad we need for next season will be very different to the squad that we have needed for this year when we were not playing in Europe," the Liverpool chief said.

"It will cost what it costs when we decide who the manager wants to buy. That has always been on the cards. It is fairly obvious that we set out with an ambition to get into the Champions League.

"It has always been tougher in the transfer market when you are not competing at the highest level. We had the issue with Luis [Suarez] last summer because he wanted to play in the best games against the best players. That is always a factor.

"We have always been fortunate to be able to bring great players here despite that but there is no question it opens up a few doors for us and makes it a little bit easier."

Liverpool were heavily linked with a move for Yevhen Konoplyanka in the January transfer window and are likely to pursue players of a similar quality in the off-season.