Dejan Lovren has seemingly taken a swing at Liverpool's big-spending rivals by asserting that money is not the key to success.
Manchester City's spending across the 2017-18 season helped them walk to the Premier League title under Pep Guardiola's stewardship, while Manchester United's heavy recruitment has aided them reach the FA Cup final against Chelsea.
Liverpool, meanwhile, brought in Mohamed Salah – who has been a revelation at Anfield – Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Virgil van Dijk over the course of the campaign.
Still, Lovren, who will face Real Madrid in the Champions League final on May 26, asserts that working as a team is more important than shelling out millions of pounds in every transfer window.
“There are teams spending a lot of money and buying top players from all over the world but it is not about money - it is about your team-mates,” he told Liverpool's official website.
“We have a squad that compares with every team in the world - we have shown that in the Champions League.
“We will now have a little rest and then we go to Spain for a few days team building and we will be ready for the final.
“The most important thing was that we beat Brighton and we are in the Champions League again. Everyone deserved that.
“Every year it is more difficult to get into the top four.”
