Antonio Conte has been full of praise for Liverpool this week. Speaking ahead of Tottenham Hotspur's clash with the Reds on Saturday night, the Spurs boss described his upcoming opponents as one of the best teams in the world.
"We know that in this moment, it is difficult to play against Liverpool," he said. "We need to be very good without the ball. We need to be brave. They only have a few weaknesses."
The 52 year-old was also asked about Klopp in his pre-match press conference. The current status of Spurs was compared to that of Liverpool in October 2015 when the German took charge, and Conte was keen to agree.
READ MORE: Man City let £26m transfer who could have stopped Champions League exit join Liverpool for free
READ MORE: Jose Mourinho reveals who he is supporting in Champions League final between Liverpool and Madrid
"When Liverpool started this work with Jurgen, they were a top team but not in a way they are now," he said. "An important manager, always the same team, big investment, big money spent on the transfer market."
Conte stated that he would agree to sign a longer deal at Spurs if he was sure the club could follow a similar path to the Reds, referencing spending on a number of occasions.
“To reduce this gap, you need to spend a lot of money because you need to buy important players," Conte explained. "You have to know this otherwise you cannot reduce this gap and hope always for a miracle.”
His admiration for the job that Klopp has done on Merseyside is clear, but the Spurs boss seems to have overlooked Liverpool's spending habits throughout their rise to the pinnacle of the sport.
The squad at Anfield is remarkable at the moment. Klopp possesses depth across the board, with at least two players for virtually every position, each of whom allow the team's favoured 4-3-3 system to remain unchanged from week to week.
Liverpool have spent money in order to acquire their players, but not as much as their strength on the pitch would suggest.
Over the past five years, Manchester United have the biggest net spend in England's top-flight on around £479m, followed by Man City on £424m and Arsenal on £334m.
Liverpool, by contrast, have spent a total of around £197m, which places them below the likes of Everton, Newcastle United and Aston Villa to name but a few, as well as Conte's current club.
Many of the incomings purchased by the Reds have been funded by outgoings. "This club - since I am here and before - spends what we earn," Klopp once said. "Pretty much everything that we earn, we spend."
The club's data-driven scouting practices have accommodated efficient recruitment.
Liverpool have been able to unearth relatively hidden gems such as Andy Robertson and Kostas Tsimikas thanks to their analysis behind the scenes, while also buying the likes of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino for less than their true value.
Virgil van Dijk and Alisson Becker represent the club's two biggest deals, but those purchases were expensed by Philippe Coutinho, who was sold to Barcelona for an eye-watering amount in January 2018.
Interestingly, some of the most prominent figures in Liverpool's recruitment team were once providing their expertise for Spurs.
Michael Edwards was initially poached from White Hart Lane in November 2011 to become Head of Analysis under Damien Comolli. Five years later, he was promoted to act as the club's Sporting Director with Klopp's blessing.
Ian Graham, who is now Liverpool's Head of Research and is labelled as the club's 'stats man', was once an external consultant who worked with Spurs to complete one-off projects and provide scouting advice.
His company - Decision Technology - had an exclusive contract with Spurs around a decade ago, meaning they couldn't work with any other Premier League club, so Liverpool bypassed the hurdle by offering Graham a role at Anfield.
Since Klopp's arrival in England, those two key men have been working alongside the Reds boss and the club's scouts in order to construct the best possible squad. Virtually every player has been a hit, and few have struggled once sporting the famous red jersey.
Conte naturally wants his employers to support him in the transfer window this summer. But if he truly wants to follow in Klopp's footsteps by steadily building a dynasty, his club will have to go one step further than simply throwing money at problems.
