Jurgen Klopp has likened new Liverpool signing Wataru Endo to James Milner after completing a £16.2million deal for the midfielder.
The 30-year-old joins after a difficult summer transfer window for the Reds, which has seen Jordan Henderson and Fabinho unexpectedly depart while bids for Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia publicly collapsed.
Howvever, Liverpool boss Klopp is confident that Endo can step into the breach and surprise any pessimists over the former Stuttgart captain’s ability. The deal holds some similarities to that which saw Milner arrive on a free transfer aged 29 before winning the Premier League and Champions League.
He said: “He is a late bloomer in his career and he was definitely underestimated for a long time. It is clear he has improved every year since he was on the proper football screen.
“There's no chance that anybody could [think he is 30], when you see him, you think, ‘Is he allowed to drive a car?’. On the pitch, he turns into a real monster.
“One of the biggest LFC legends of my time was James Milner, he arrived here when he was 29. I can tell you without James Milner, we wouldn't have enjoyed success in recent years.
“Wataru can have a similar impact. The last week was obviously a tricky one. But when you have a problem you can stick to the problem or find a solution, I'm more than happy to have the solution.”
Klopp addressed Liverpool’s unusual transfer window and argued that the market conditions have not favoured his team in a number of deals.
He continued: “I'm not sure it's something to do with Liverpool. Everything is more difficult.
“There are lot of things that are different, some clubs have a different way to do it and somehow it works. As a normal club, it's really difficult to catch up with them. That's not my problem, just how it is.
“Saudi Arabia, on top of that, hasn't made things easier. China tried it, the USA are still trying it. The endless money causes a problem, that's how it is. It would be cool if someone could find a solution.
“It became more difficult, but not to convince players to come to Liverpool. You just have to make sure you go for the right ones. I sit here and I'm really happy with our transfer window in this moment. We will keep looking, we will try to make the best decisions for this club and we will not use money or anything else as an excuse. We will just go for it. We do it our way and we are ready to fight.”
