Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has taken aim at Newcastle United's ownership by claiming his Reds side cannot compete with the likes of the Magpies, Manchester City and Paris Saint Germain.
It is no secret that the three clubs Klopp mentions are all gulf state owned. Newcastle are Saudi Arabian owned, while City and PSG are backed by the United Arab Emirates and Qatar respectively.
The resources available to these three clubs pale in comparison to the rest of Europe. When Newcastle were bought by PIF this time last year, it moved the club into a different stratosphere with regard to their finances.
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With so much money available at their disposal, it's easy to see why Klopp is frustrated. Newcastle may not be on a footing with City and PSG yet, but in time they could be.
While Liverpool are certainly not scrapping the bottom of the barrel when it comes to recruitment, the German has always said his side are not capable of maintaining a squad like City's, which boasts a regular international at almost every position.
Recently, Newcastle sporting director Dan Ashworth stated he did not believe the Magpies had a ceiling.
And speaking in his Friday press conference, an exasperated Klopp, who agreed with Ashworth's take, claimed Liverpool "cannot act like" Newcastle.
"You will not like the answer, and you all have the answer already. Nobody can compete with [Manchester] City," Klopp said in his Friday press conference ahead of Liverpool's weekend clash with Manchester City.
"You have the best team in the world and you put in the best striker on the market, no matter what it costs, you just do it. I know City will not like it, nobody will like it. You've asked the question but you know the answer.”
"What does Liverpool do? We cannot act like them. It is not possible. Not possible. It is just clear and again you know the answer. There are three clubs in world football who can do what they want financially. It's legal and everything, fine, but they can do what they want. They will say 'yeah but we have...' but it's exactly the fact.
"I heard now that at Newcastle somebody [sporting director Dan Ashworth] said 'there is no ceiling for this club'. Yes! He is right. He is absolutely right. There is no ceiling for Newcastle. Congratulations, but other clubs have ceilings."
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