The German has tinkered with the squad in the meantime. Takumi Minamino came to Merseyside in January and, although it hardly caused excitement among Kopites, Konstantinos Tsimikas arrived from Olympiacos last month at a cost of £12 million as cover at left back. There has been no real attempt to upgrade the starting XI for two years, though. It has become clear that before Liverpool dip into the transfer market they will have to sell players. This seems illogical after such a glorious – and lucrative – period in the club’s history.

The Covid-19 crisis will have an impact on the economics of all Premier League clubs but, even so, Liverpool have posted impressive pre-tax profits of £207 million over the past three years. Rival clubs have been spending gleefully. Chelsea have invested £201 million in this window, Manchester City more than £70 million and Manchester United will undoubtedly lash out more than £100 million by the time the window shuts on October 5.

Kieron O’Connor, one of football’s finest financial analysts, took a look at Liverpool’s books last week and supplied some answers. O’Connor, who operates under the username @swissramble on Twitter, provided an illuminating insight into Anfield’s finances. The club’s costs – player salaries, bonuses and other expenses – have outstripped revenue. Wages have risen by 87 per cent. Liverpool have spent more than they have earned.

All the profit for the past three years came from player sales. The bottom line is that Liverpool have to be a selling club to stay in the black and avoid going into the red.

That is a hard fact for some in the fan base to understand but Fenway Sports Group (FSG), the American owners, grasped that notion from the start. They are unlikely to pump money into player acquisition. From the first moment that John W Henry turned up on Merseyside almost a decade ago, the Boston-based billionaire has been unwavering in his view that the club needs to fund itself. FSG are happy to provide interest-free loans for projects like the Main Stand and the expansion of the Anfield Road end (now postponed because of Coronavirus), but they are strong believers in financial fair play and living within your means.

There are very few clubs that do not have to be so prudent. Although Roman Abramovich has the means to bankroll Chelsea’s transfer activities, much of their summer recruitment has been funded by Eden Hazard’s move to Real Madrid last summer. Only Manchester City, Manchester United, Real Madrid, Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain can operate without worrying too much about overspending. Liverpool are members of the elite but they are not in the gilded circle of the mega-rich.

Another factor is Klopp’s confidence in the squad. He believed that he could win with this group last summer and he is convinced that he can do the same in the coming campaign. As much as his bosses in Boston, the German is keen on self-sufficiency. His sideswipe at teams “owned by countries, owned by oligarchs,” on the BBC this week comes from conviction rather than envy. “We’re a different kind of club,” he said.

This has not soothed a certain section of the fan base who cannot understand why the champions are not buying up talent across Europe. Their ire is turned on FSG rather than Klopp. Instead of luxuriating in the afterglow of the title win, the wilder elements on social media are even calling for a change of ownership. Henry and his partners have made numerous mistakes over their decade at the helm but they have had the best interests of the club at heart. FSG might have expected a more forgiving mood after delivering the Champions League and title in successive years.

So what can Liverpool fans expect in the coming weeks? Sources within Anfield are optimistic that the squad will be bolstered by a couple of new faces before the window shuts, especially if Georginio Wijnaldum completes his much-touted move to Barcelona. There are a number of players who are surplus to Klopp’s requirements and the objective is to generate some cash through sales. Any money that comes in will be recycled to strengthen the manager’s options.

The mood in the camp is good. Last summer the team were confident but uncertain whether they could win the battle with City over 38 games. Now belief is strong that they can defend their title. Klopp is still waiting for players like Minamino and Naby Keita to make the next step.

Liverpool are not standing still. Given the age and ability of the squad, they do not need to rebuild this summer. They will buy wisely when the opportunity arises – which it likely will – and trust in the manager and the players. Next year will be a different prospect but, for now, the champions go into the season in pole position. Other clubs would pay a lot of money to be in Liverpool’s situation.