Jurgen Klopp insists Liverpool ‘really care’ about youth development amid the stand-off over Bobby Duncan’s future.
Duncan’s agent Saif Rubie launched an extraordinary attack on social media that accused the Reds of ‘mentally bullying’ the striker, a cousin of Steven Gerrard.
Anfield officials were ‘disappointed’ by Rubie’s claims about the 18-year-old’s relationship with the club, which they also described as ‘unfounded allegations’.
Liverpool also insisted that they remained committed to working privately with the player ‘to find resolution in the best interests of all involved’.
Ahead of Saturday’s trip to Burnley, Klopp reaffirmed that the European champions’ stance on Duncan and other promising players remains the same.
He said: “We have an official statement from the club about that. Really, that’s the situation.
“I would say it’s really difficult to speak about as a not native speaker, because it’s really important, obviously, that each word is the right one.
“What I can say is – and Bobby is one of our young players – that we really care about our young players. Really, really care. That’s pretty much all I can say.
“I know that from the club, I’m four years in and I know that we are like this.
“Not only with young players, with all players in football, sometimes contract things can then – not be a massive problem, because there are bigger problems in life – be a problem, because one wants to extend, or not extend, or whatever.
“It’s a normal thing. But with young players we are especially sensitive.
“If I now say something more about it that will just create headlines, which is not important in this case. Nobody needs to read headlines. We have to do the right things.
“All the different parties, I would say, have to do the right things, then everything will be fine. That’s a completely normal situation, with all generations, with all age groups. It’s always the same.
“It’s not about having any big lines from the manager. We are really in the situation and that’s all I can say about it.”