We would absolutely love to be a fly on the wall of Jurgen Klopp’s meetings with prospective signings.
We’ve all heard about his trip to Blackpool to see Virgil van Dijk and the Paris meeting with Ousmane Dembele before his Dortmund move – and the latest information coming from plenty of good sources is that Liverpool’s boss chatted with Timo Werner over Easter via the internet because of the quarantine.
EOTK confirmed earlier that this is with the blessing of Rb Leipzig, who have allowed their striker to discuss a potential switch with any suitor.
And now, we’ve got word from the head of Bild, Christian Falk, on what went down. Falk is a German football expert with close ties to the big clubs in the Bundesliga and has had his ear to the ground on this prospective transfer for some time.
According to the journalist, Klopp will have used the meeting to sound Werner’s personality out more than talk football, but interestingly, to let the player know he is serious – and not just a joker as is occasionally misrepresented by the media.
“In such meetings, Klopp does not primarily talk about football,” Falk told us. “It is about the player getting to know him. He wants that players to not think of him like his public image. He doesn’t want them to have the impression that he is just the guy who is funny or who says clever things. Klopp will also see if the player fits him and the his spirit of his team. He wants to answer this question: Is the player ready to do as much running as is required for the Klopp style?”
David Ornstein wrote on Twitter today that there was also a virtual meeting between the pair before lockdown started – and with the player continually speaking up the possibility of an Anfield switch – it’s pretty clear Klopp’s vision for him at the club has been sold.
The issue of course is one of finances, but we have a good relationship with Rb Leipzig and despite the impact of coronavirus on football – a £50m transfer will surely be granted should Klopp give the go-ahead given his large major spend was on Alisson back in 2018.