Jose Mourinho has accused Jurgen Klopp of hypocrisy after the Liverpool boss spent a world record £75million for a defender to sign Virgin van Dijk.

Klopp scoffed at the huge fees spent by many Premier League clubs, with United having spent a then world record £89m on signing Paul Pogba from Juventus in the summer of 2016.

But the Liverpool boss has joined the trend of managers paying exorbitant fees for players with the capture of Van Dijk from Southampton , with Mourinho warning his rival of his former stance.

“I think the one's that speak about it in a specific way has to be Jurgen,” said Mourinho when asked about Liverpool paying such a huge fee for Van Dijk.

“And if I was one of you I would ask him about his comments about one year ago.

Mourinho and Klopp (
Image:
REUTERS)
Van Dijk signs for Liverpool (
Image:
Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

“But not speaking specifically about that case, because in Liverpool they do what they want to do, and I am nobody to comment on what they do.

“The reality is that if they think that the player is the right player for them and they really want the player they pay his amount or they don't have the player because that is the way the market is at that time.

“So when we compare now the amount of money certain managers and clubs spend, to try to compare that, I am not saying even 10 years ago, but even three years ago, is to compare the impossible. You cannot compare the realities.

“Van Dijk is the most expensive defender in history of football, was he better than Paolo Maldini, Giuseppe Bergomi or Rio Ferdinand?

Mourinho during his press conference (
Image:
John Peters/Man Utd via Getty Images)

“You cannot say that, it's just the way the market is, and you pay or you don't pay. If you pay, obviously you pay a crazy amount of money, but if you don't, you don't have the player.

“It's as simple as that, so no critics at all about what Liverpool did, it's just the way it is.”
Speaking about clubs spending big on players in July 2016, Klopp said: “Other clubs can go out and spend more money and collect top players, yes.

“But if you bring one player in for £100million or whatever, and he gets injured, then it all goes through the chimney.

Van Dijk in action (
Image:
AFP)

“Do I have to do it differently to that? Actually, I want to do it differently. I would even do it differently if I could spend that money.

“I want a special team spirit – I don’t feel it is necessary, I want it.

You can’t say at the end, 'Only 11 best players will play together and let’s see what happens.' The day that this is football, I’m not in a job anymore. Because the game is about playing together.

“That is why somebody invented passes — so these players can play together. It’s not about running with the ball because you can do it all the time.

"But building the group is not my unique idea, it is necessary to be successful in football.”

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