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Topics: Jurgen Klopp, Liverpool, Pep Guardiola, Manchester City, Premier League, Transfers
Ryan Smart
Topics: Jurgen Klopp, Liverpool, Pep Guardiola, Manchester City, Premier League, Transfers
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp managed to beat Pep Guardiola to a £35 million signing - despite the Manchester City manager staging a private 'intervention' with the player.
Klopp managed to sign four players over the summer, with all of those being midfielders.
Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai both arrived early on in the transfer window, with Liverpool later completing deals for both Wataru Endo and Ryan Gravenberch.
It was a midfield rebuild that was very much required, with the Reds allowing Fabinho and Jordan Henderson to leave and releasing James Milner, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
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But Klopp had to work significantly harder for one signing than he may have hoped in convincing Mac Allister to join from Brighton.
After City drew 1-1 with Brighton back in May - just three days after they celebrated winning the FA Cup - Guardiola approached Mac Allister on the pitch at the Amex Stadium, and embraced him.
The midfielder is believed to have been a firm favourite of Guardiola before he made his move to Anfield, and the Daily Mirror claimed that City were preparing a big summer bid.
But Klopp and Liverpool managed to convince Mac Allister to move to Merseyside instead, and the 24-year-old World Cup winner has already made a strong impression.
The German has opted to use Mac Allister in a more defensive role as a number six - and explained the reason for the move after Liverpool's win over Nottingham Forest last month.
He explained: "I'm really pleased for him. A lot of top defensive moments, really killed the counter and stuff like this, he's good in these things. That's why we play him there.
"In one-v-one situations, he's really good and we have to make sure, as a team, that the spaces are really small in these moments.
"We have a really creative player in the centre of the park, together with Trent in some moments which is, obviously, helpful. Very helpful."