'Klopp is now the best manager in football' - Liverpool boss has moved ahead of Guardiola, says Hamann

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has moved ahead of Pep Guardiola as the "best manager in football", says Dietmar Hamann.

When Klopp was drafted in to succeed Brendan Rodgers in the Anfield hot seat back in October 2015, Liverpool were a club in disarray.

The German boss inherited a confidence-stricken squad which finished eighth in the Premier League the season prior to his arrival, but he quickly set about implementing his own unique philosophy while lifting the mood among supporters with his infectious personality.

Fast forward five years, and Klopp has transformed Liverpool into Premier League title winners and European champions, having assembled a world-class team.

The Merseyside outfit have dethroned Manchester City in emphatic style, winning the top-flight with seven games to spare after opening up a 23-point lead at the summit.

Guardiola has won four more trophies at Etihad Stadium than Klopp has won at Anfield in a shorter space of time, but he's had unlimited funds at his disposal at a club which has dominated English football in recent times.

Hamann says Klopp's "achievements are incomparable" because of the huge rebuilding job he had on his hands at Liverpool, and that he is now peerless as the master of his profession.

The ex-Liverpool midfielder told The Mirror: “Jurgen has to now be recognised as the best manager in football. Pep Guardiola is an exceptional coach, but when he went into Man City he took over a club that was already winning titles and cups.

“Of course, what he has done at City in the last three seasons has to be recognised, but Klopp took over a club that had won one League Cup in 10 years and he has built a team virtually from scratch.

"That’s why his achievements are incomparable. Klopp is the first Liverpool manager to win the Premier League and the first German to win it. When you compare the squad to the one he inherited, he has virtually changed it completely – with a net spend of about £50 million.

“When you look at the resources other managers have had, it makes his achievements even more spectacular. He’s got an incredible forward line with Mo Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino.

“He’s developed probably the two best full-backs in the world in [Trent] Alexander-Arnold and [Andrew] Robertson. Buying Virgil Van Dijk was a bargain even at £75m because Liverpool’s problems over the last 30 years have been caused by defensive vulnerability.

“A great team must avoid two things. The first is complacency, but even with a 25-point lead at the top there was never a sense of taking it easy. The second is a fighting spirit, and this Liverpool team never lies down.

“That is all down to Jurgen Klopp. He has built a team of brothers who refuse to let each other down.”

Hamann went on to express his belief that Klopp will look to add "two or three" new players to his ranks this summer in order to ensure that Liverpool continue to challenge for major honours across all competitions.

He added: “I’m a believer that the very best teams are the ones that bounce back from big disappointments – and that has been a mark of this Liverpool team. Like last year when they got 97 points and lost the title by a point.

“To then win the Champions League and follow that up by winning the league for the first time in 30 years is phenomenal. I remember when Jurgen first arrived at Anfield and he said his job was to turn doubters into believers.

“He hasn’t just changed the mindset of the players, he has altered the attitude on an entire city and fanbase. Klopp has given the fans a realisation that a season only matters after 38 games.

“He won’t rest on this. He will look to build from a position of strength. I can see him bringing in two or three top-class signings to keep the squad hungry.”