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Football

09th Dec 2015

Reports: Jurgen Klopp signs former Borussia Dortmund star pupil

Unsettled in Turkey

Patrick McCarry

Kevin Grosskreutz will join up with Jurgen Klopp at Anfield from January 2016, according to reports in Turkey.

Turkish media outlet Takvim is claiming the 27-year-old will join the Reds on a three-year after a frustrating spell at Galatasaray.

Grosskreutz played under Klopp for six seasons at Borussia Dortmund and won two Bundesliga titles with the club.

He has made five international caps for Germany and was part of the 2014 World Cup-winning squad, although he did not make a tournament appearance.

The midfielder signed up with the Turkish giants in September 2015 but a mix-up with paperwork saw the deal miss the Fifa deadline.

That meant he could not play for the club until January 2016. He has appeared in friendly matches but has reportedly failed to settle in Istanbul and instructed his agent to seek an exit on his behalf.

Grosskreutz played as a winger for Dortmund from 2009 to 2015 and scored 23 goa;s in 176 appearances.

Klopp has already stated that he would have no issue in revisiting his old club for transfer targets. This is a slight departure but a sign that the German coach has identified some roles that need filling in the current Liverpool squad.

Funnily enough, Grosskreutz played in every position on the pitch for Dortmund, including in goal. In that way, he could be described as the German John O’Shea.

In 2013, Roman Weidenfeller was sent off for a professional foul. Grosskreutz was in the sticks for the final 10 minutes but could not prevent a penalty from being scored.

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