Former Liverpool midfielder Jason McAteer has revealed a transfer strategy used by Reds manager Jurgen Klopp to entice players to join the club.
Liverpool are set to make their first January signing before the window opens, having agreed a deal with PSV to sign Dutch forward Cody Gakpo.
The 23-year-old, who was previously linked to Manchester United, is scheduled to fly to England for a medical today and could be announced as early as this evening.
He will most likely replace Luis Diaz on Liverpool’s left flank while the Colombian recovers from a knee injury, but he can also play centrally and in midfield.
Meanwhile, the Reds have been heavily linked with the signing of Borussia Dortmund star Jude Bellingham, who impressed for England at the World Cup.
According to the Daily Mail, Bellingham remains the club’s top priority for the summer, and the 19-year-old could be available for as little as £60 million.
McAteer has now explained how Klopp may have persuaded Gakpo to join Liverpool, and how Bellingham may have played a role.
McAteer on Klopp’s transfer strategy
McAteer, who played for the Reds between 1995 and 1999, told beIN Sports (via Liverpool Echo): “You’ve asked for the comparison between Liverpool and Manchester United there.
“‘We may have Jude Bellingham at the end of the season, we’ve got Diaz back at the end of the season, we’ve signed Nunez, Salah is staying, I’m staying for another two or three seasons, and we’ve got big ambitions and aspirations,’ Jurgen Klopp can tell Cody Gakpo. Klopp is an expert at conversing with players in this manner.
“I know Virgil van Dijk was never off the phone with him – and I shouldn’t say that.
“If Jurgen Klopp called me over Ten Hag, I know which club I would choose. I think it’s a steal for the price.”
