Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has admitted that he nearly gave up on signing goalkeeper Alisson Becker from Roma during the summer transfer window.
The Brazilian national first-choice keeper arrived at the Reds for £67 million in July which made him the world’s most expensive goalkeeper. However, this title now belongs to Kepa who joined Chelsea from Athletic Bilbao two weeks ago.
One of the biggest areas which the Reds needed to bolster this summer was their goalkeeping department. Both Simon Mignolet and Loris Karius failed to convince the Kop that they are worthy of being considered as long-term first-choice keepers.
This was even exemplified during the Champions League final in Kiev as Karius committed to basic goalkeeping errors which gifted Real Madrid with two goals. Madrid went on to win the encounter 3-1 and was crowned as Champions of Europe for a third successive season.
Liverpool did not have an easy time in luring Alisson. The 25-year-old established himself as one of the World’s greatest keepers through his form for Roma last season and was also linked with the likes of Real Madrid and Chelsea.
Alisson has the qualities which are required to succeed playing in the Premier League and he is exactly the type of keeper that the Reds would want as a first-choice.
Klopp said to Kicker as reported by The Irish Mirror: “We simply identified another keeper, who is better, and signed him,”
“I didn’t tell Karius what he wanted to hear, but how it is. The Champions League final had nothing to do with us getting Alisson.
“Even if he had won it and Alisson would have been on the market we would have still signed him. How the people reacted negatively to Karius after the final, tried to isolate him, almost made me not get Alisson and rather stick it out with Karius.
“But we had to be professional. Our job is to have the best players on every position. [Karius] is now 25, at an age, in which keepers keep improving. All the best keepers make mistakes.
“But sometimes timing is important in life. If Loris makes a mistake now it isn’t cool. In eight years nobody will care. We are totally happy with him.”
