'We were lucky!' Jurgen Klopp fires Moises Caiecedo and Romeo Lavia transfer dig at Anfield test event

Liverpool held a test event ahead of the opening of the Anfield Road Stand expansion opening.

Some 10,000 fans were in attendance, with the stand to open for Sunday's Premier League clash against Manchester United. Should everything have gone fine then Anfield's capacity will increase to 57,000 against United - the largest crowd the stadium will have held since 1977.

Those part of the test event were given a reception from Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp. He was part of a Q&A and discussed the Reds' summer transfer window.

The Reds signed Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai for a combined £95 million before pre-season started. But the surprise exits of Jordan Henderson and Fabinho - to Saudi Arabia clubs Al Ettifaq and Al-Ittihad respectively - meant that Liverpool again had to dip into the midfield market again. Liverpool made a club-record £110 million bid for Moises Caicedo that was accepted by Brighton but he instead opted to join Chelsea. Romeo Lavia also chose to move to Stamford Bridge for £50 million despite the Reds offering Southampton a substantial fee.

Liverpool instead turned to bring in Wataru Endo for £16 million from Stuttgart before swooping for Ryan Gravenberch from Bayern Munich for £34 million.

Sixteen games into the season, the Reds are top of the table and in the title race. Chelsea's struggles have continued, however, as they languish 18 points behind Liverpool in 12th after losing 2-0 to Everton last weekend.

Speaking to supporters at the Anfield Road End test event, Klopp said (posted on X via @ZAGKAG1811): "The summer we had with a few strange things happen in the transfer market but here between us I can say: 'My god we were lucky'.

"We didn't know that in the moment to be honest, it didn't feel like in the moment. But I am really happy it worked out like that. You never know if it will work out like that. I had an extremely good feeling before we started pre-season, we already had Macca and Dom were already in and then we knew there was a chance for Ryan. Then we obviously realised that other central defensive midfielders obviously don't want to join Liverpool - you see what happens - and we found Endo.

"He is an exceptional player, absolutely. He's 30 years old, experienced, captain of Japan and it's not possible sure at first glimpse because the transfer market is not like that. We don't go for players like that, we don't go for 30 year olds from Germany who nearly got relegated. Thank god we looked about things twice and had a deeper look and got this boy and he wanted to come definitely and that helps.

"We have a squad together, a new leadership group if you want with very experienced players, still young some of them and a group around who is full of desire, full of passion who will give everything to this club. That is the start and now we have to try to make something happen."