Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has conceded that they cannot compete with their Premier League rivals in the transfer market.
The Reds go into Saturday's Premier League opener away to Norwich having made just one signing through the summer.
The €40million capture of Ibrahima Konaté is - to date - Liverpool's only first-team signing since the end of last season.
During the same time period, Manchester City have spent a Premier League record €117million on Jack Grealish, and are waiting to pounce on a potential €150million deal for Harry Kane.
Chelsea have paid a club record €115million for Romelu Lukaku, while the likes of Jules Koundé may follow. And Manchester United have paid a combined €125million for Jadon Sancho and Raphael Varane.
Liverpool have been busy tying key assets to new contracts. Virgil van Dijk, Fabinho, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Alisson and Caoimhín Kelleher have all signed new deals.
But in a week of mega money deals, Klopp is remaining prudent.
"We cannot compare with the other clubs, they obviously don't have any limits," he told his pre-match press conference, "We have limits."
"But we were quite successful even when having limits in the last few years and that's what we shall try again and not use it as an excuse. If we don't win a game we won't say 'it's because we didn't sign him or him'.
"We want to use our sources - that's passion, a good way, desire, a clear plan, direction, flexibility. That's our football, that's what we want to use.
"Let's see which is the right way.
"We cannot spend money we don't have. We cannot, maybe others can, but we can't."
Some fans have expressed concern at Liverpool's lack of spending, given a failure to invest in a title winning team last year saw them scramble to retain Champions League football.
But Klopp has urged supporters to have faith in the club's methods.
"I really understand it," the German said, "I'm in my sixth year here, and apart from the year we signed Ali and Virg, it was always the same.
"It looks always like we don't sign enough and don't do enough.
"We work constantly on improving the team and one part of it is signing new players.
"The most important thing, and I think our fans appreciate it as well, is having a group together who is fun to watch, exciting to watch, is fighting together, who is definitely 100 per cent committed to the club and the values of the club.
"We have that. Let's fight with all we have and whatever happens until the end of pre-season we will see.
"We cannot just add on players to this squad and say 'let's have a look how that works' because you have to look at the squad the whole year."
OTB Predictions: Premier League 2021/22 season
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