At long last, Luis Diaz is a Liverpool player and we can finally hear from Jurgen Klopp as he has shared his thoughts on the arrival of the new man.
The Colombian winger has played against the Reds twice already this season and these performances have helped convince the boss that he was the right man.
Speaking with the club’s website, the German discussed how long we have been monitoring the 25-year-old, the difficulty in negotiating with Porto and much more.
The 54-year-old said: ‘I could not be happier that we’ve been able to get this deal done and bring Luis to Liverpool.
‘I have always been a believer in only signing players in January if you would want to sign them in the summer, and that’s very much the case with Luis.
‘He is an outstanding player and someone we’ve been tracking for a very long time.
‘We believe he has everything needed to fit into our way and adapt to the Premier League, both physically and mentally.
‘He is a player who is hungry for success and knows you have to fight to get what you want. He is a fighter, no doubt.
‘He’s a skilful team player who has always the goal in mind.
‘This team deserved to add quality and when we played against Luis earlier this season, we saw what a danger he is, how fast he is and how his mentality was to help his team.
‘We know Porto is an outstanding club who nurture players in the best possible way and provide a brilliant football education. They are a class club and, I have to say, have been tough negotiators.
‘We also have to say thank you to the Colombia FA for being so helpful in allowing us the time to complete this deal.
‘They have a big game on Tuesday and I know as well as anyone how important preparation is for matches, so for them to allow us a few hours to finalise the transfer without impacting their training was greatly appreciated.
‘I also must make clear my appreciation to our ownership and football operations team for how they have managed to act so decisively to get this done.
‘Luis is a player we believe will make us better now and in the future. He is the player we really wanted and they’ve made it happen, so I am very happy’.
It’s great to hear our gaffer speaking so positively and not just about a new signing but the owners and how they facilitated the move.
To make a move in January suggests that there was competition elsewhere and the pull of Anfield has once again proved too hard to resist.
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