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Jurgen Klopp shares what he thought when he first saw Kostas Tsimikas play

Photo by John Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images
Photo by John Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images
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Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has told the club’s official website that he was immediately excited when he saw Kostas Tsimikas in action.

The Reds secured the signing of Tsimikas last week, bringing him in from Greek side Olympiacos for just £11.75million.

Liverpool have a star left back in Andrew Robertson, but seemingly felt that they needed cover and competition for him.

A number of options were linked, including Norwich City’s Jamal Lewis, but Liverpool ended up going with Tsimikas instead.

The 24-year-old starred for Olympiacos last season, racking up seven assists for the Greek giants whilst impressing in the Champions League.

Formerly of Willem II, Tsimikas has now earned his big move, and he has unsurprisingly earned early praise from boss Klopp.

Klopp has admitted that he felt he needed a natural left back rather than using the right-footed James Milner there, and he thinks Tsimikas has the pace and crossing that Liverpool want.

Klopp added that he immediately wanted to sign Tsimikas when he saw him in action for the first time, and believes he is now where he belongs having been through a slow start to his career.

Photo by Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images

“Kostas is a signing which just shows what we are looking for, what we need” said Klopp. “I think the left-back position was now not a position where the people out there would have thought, ‘We need another player’ and stuff like this. It worked out pretty well, Millie played there from time to time but we cannot take any risk or we should take as less risk as possible. Our full-backs in the way we play are so important with the skills they have, the speed they have, the crosses they bring in and stuff like this.”

“When I saw Kostas the first time, I thought, ‘Is it possible to get somebody like him?’ Meanwhile, he’s not the most experienced player because he started a little bit later with a proper career. But in the last two or three years, he’s really right on track and then has started building his career obviously. Then we had a conversation and he was very, very positive about this, knowing that we have already a world-class full-back – but that’s exactly what you try to have.” he added.

Photo by Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images