Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has insisted that the club has acquired a quality player in Joel Matip and believes that he will make an immediate impact.
The club announced the signing of the Schalke defender on Monday, with the Cameroon international making the move to Anfield on a free transfer at the end of the season.
Klopp is evidently delighted to have secured his signing, and believes that he will play an important role in his plans for next season.
“I am very happy. Everybody who knows him would have been interested,” the Liverpool manager told the club’s official website. “Maybe he’s not the most famous player in England, but he’s 24 and has played about 200 Bundesliga games for Schalke.
“He is a top-class centre-half, very young but experienced. You don’t have that too often. To be honest, when I had my break I thought for the next club, I should think about Joel, if there was a need.
“He never played for my team, he did the extreme opposite – he played for their biggest opponent. Maybe that says a lot about his quality. Even when he played for the team you cannot love as Dortmund manager, you see his quality. Then that’s real quality.
“Maybe it was a little advantage that I know him and he knows me. He’s still a young player and for a young player, it could help to make the decision when there’s a manager from your home country.
“It’s a good situation, hopefully a win-win. In this moment, it looks like this. Now he has to stay healthy and after the summer break we can start working together.”
The Reds have struggled defensively this season, conceding 36 goals already which is the most for a side in the top 10 in the Premier League table.
In turn, Klopp has moved quickly to address the situation ahead of the summer transfer market opening, although the German tactician may well bolster his options further if he believes he needs more depth with the likes of Dejan Lovren failing to convince.
The Liverpool boss went on to add that Matip’s physicality, height and quickness will all help him adjust to life in England, while his versatility and football brain will also be useful if there is a change in system and formation.
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