Former Liverpool manager Gerard Houllier has been left wowed by Reds boss Jurgen Klopp’s development of two inexpensive players.
While the German has had to spend big money on the likes of Virgil van Dijk, Fabinho and Mohamed Salah, it’s two far cheaper recruits who Houllier believes Klopp has done his best work with.
“The world started to change because to win the football games you also had to win the commercial games,” he told the Daily Telegraph.
“To buy players you need the commercial partners. Now you see Jurgen can sign players like Virgil van Dijk and Alisson, but don’t forget he has kept the tradition of developing players too. I don’t think [Andrew] Robertson and [Joël] Matip cost so much, eh?”
OPINION
Houllier gets it absolutely spot on, here. Robertson and Matip were both absolute bargains, as we have seen over the years. The BBC reported that the Scotland international cost the Reds just £8million, while the Cameroonian was a free signing from Bundesliga side Schalke, as per the Beeb. To only have paid £8million for two players who have become some of the finest at their positions in the Premier League. Robertson is widely regarded as the top left back in English football’s premier division, while Matip is starting to receive the praise his performances deserve. The former Schalke man has established himself as Van Dijk’s main centre back partner in recent times, beating out two excellent players in Joe Gomez and Dejan Lovren for that role. There’s no doubt that not only has Klopp recruited well at Anfield, but that he has improved the players in the squad as well. The likes of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Jordan Henderson and Georginio Wijnaldum have all kicked on exponentially since the German has been in their lives.
