Heaping praise.
Jurgen Klopp secured his second permanent signing that will arrive at Anfield this summer in the form of Schalke defender Joel Matip earlier this week.
The centre-half had long been touted as being Anfield bound, as Klopp looks to strengthen up his brittle defence that is leakier than a sieve at times, especially at set-pieces.
Despite the club’s injury crisis easing in recent weeks, the German coach is understood to be still unhappy with his team’s general lazy attitude to the basics of defending.
However Liverpool fans worried every time the club concedes a corner or free-kick on the edge of the box should be very pleased to hear the incredible praise that Klopp is heaping on the Cameroon international.
Ahead of Thursday’s Europa League clash with Augsburg, the former Borussia Dortmund coach believes Matip has everything needed to be an instant success in the Premier League.
“He’s 24 years old, got over 200 Bundesliga games, played Champions League, played Europa League and was a German Cup winner in 2011. He wanted a new challenge and he’s made big steps in his development in the last few years.
“He’s become a really experienced centre-half – tall, but flexible and quick. A perfect header of the ball, he scores four or five goals a season, and good in the build-up. He was an easy choice.”
Liverpool will not pay a single euro for the player as his contract runs out at the Bundesliga outfit side this summer. Reports suggest that he was linked with a number of sides across Europe but Liverpool managed to fend off hot competition for his signature.
Klopp boasted that to get him for nothing was an absolute steal.
“I know in England it is really difficult to sign a player without paying a transfer fee, but I thought it cannot be a reason not to take him only because you cannot put a number behind his name.
“If you asked in Germany what other clubs would have paid for him had he still been under contract, you can just pick a number.
“It’s clear there were a lot of other clubs interested. In Germany, for a player of his quality, who is out of contract, there is huge interest.”
