LIVERPOOL SAVED MILLIONS OF POUNDS WITH MATIP SIGNING ADMITS KLOPP

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp admits the signing of Joel Matip on a free transfer has saved the club millions in their search for a commanding centre-back.
"It is clear there were a lot of other clubs [interested]. In Germany a player of this quality without a contract is really rare," said Klopp. "Schalke are a big club; they played the last four or five years in the Champions League and they made big offers to keep this player.
"We have maybe four clubs who can get a player like Matip when he is at Schalke -- only Borussia Dortmund, although that is not possible [as their arch-rivals], Bayern obviously, maybe Leverkusen and maybe Wolfsburg.
"The rest have no chance. Then you think about other countries and we were early enough. He was an easy choice.
"I know in England it is difficult to bring in a player without paying a transfer fee but I thought it should not be a reason not to take him only because you cannot write a number behind his name.
"Ask in Germany what other clubs would have paid for him and whether there would have been a contract [offer]."

"He is a high-quality centre-half. You cannot play in a club like Schalke for six years always in the starting line-up without having big quality," he added.
"He made big steps in his development in the last few years and became a really experienced centre-half: tall -- 198 centremetres [6-foot-4] -- but flexible and quick.
"He is a perfect header and makes four or five goals per season.
"For him it is good because he knows I know him and it is not coincidence or that he comes here and finds a manager he has to show special things to.
"He has to work and improve of course but it is a really good base and he can be a really good centre-half in the Premier League."
"I don't believe in the number of transfers but we have to make solutions and we will make solutions -- [but] seven really sounds a lot," he said.
"Also maybe players will make solutions and say they do not want to be here any more, so you have to be prepared.
"We have enough strikers -- five with Roberto [Firmino] -- but not too many wingers, just a few young ones with great potential.
"We have to decide early and at the right moment on transfers, but it is about a squad where you can play different systems and react to different situations."