'We don't sign ****heads' - James Milner reveals key to Liverpool's transfer deals

The Reds are contesting their third Champions League final in five years under manager Jurgen Klopp, coming out of an era where the side often struggled to finish inside the Premier League top four.

The Merseyside club managed just one trophy in 11 seasons between 2007 and 2018, but have already won two this campaign, with a third potentially on its way.

Much of that has been down to the club's enviable transfer business, turning a £142million Phillippe Coutinho sale into deals for Virgil van Dijk and Alisson Becker, who have become stalwarts for the club.

There have also been bargain deals for the likes of Andy Robertson, who joined from Hull City for £8million, while recent signings Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota have fit seamlessly into the line-up.

Liverpool's sporting director, Michael Edwards, is leaving the club this summer, with plenty of interest in the man who's masterminded some of the Reds' best deals but, as it turns out, things are more simple than they seem.

Free signing James Milner, who has turned into a Liverpool great, was speaking about manager Klopp when he went on to explain the key to the club's recruitment.

Of the German, he said: "We haven't really seen that angry side to him since the early days.

"Liverpool have great recruiters, they wouldn't sign any knobheads.

"Sport is all mental, you can have all the ability in the world, but it's the attitude."

This elite mentality Liverpool are after was perhaps perfectly summed up when Sadio Mane discussed the impact of January signing Diaz earlier this season.

The arrival of a new in-form winger would be enough for any forward at the club to feel challenged in their position.

But Mane said the arrival of another top talent brought the best out of him and the other Reds stars.

"I don't see it as competition," he told CBS Sports. "I see it as making each other better players.

"If you want to be a great team you need these kinds of players. We are really happy to have these kinds of players and for sure, we're going to win and Liverpool will win from it.

"I think everyone knows Klopp is a great manager. He is used to this situation, making sure everyone is happy, and for sure he will keep doing the same.

"I've spent two, three days with him [Diaz] and he's a very, very nice guy.

"For sure he will do great for Liverpool because he's so, so talented and he's very humble. A very hard-working player."