Liverpool new boy Ibrahima Konate has been on Jurgen Klopp's radar ever since he was a teenager at Sochaux.
The Reds completed the £36m signing of the centre-half from RB Leipzig on Friday.
Konate has followed his former defensive partner Dayot Upamecano in seeking pastures new after the latter moved to Bayern Munich.
Leipzig have made a habit of spotting young talent before helping it develop and Konate was no different.
He made his debut in Ligue 2 as a 17-year-old and Klopp was soon aware of his quality.
A move to Germany followed just months later and the Frenchman has spent the last four seasons in the Bundesliga.
Klopp told the club's official website : "He is someone I’ve admired for a long time, ever since I first became aware of his potential when he was at Sochaux”
Liverpool have had to deal with considerable injury problems this term which saw their three centre-halves all sidelined.
Konate's arrival will bolster Klopp's options and the Reds boss spoke glowingly about what he can offer.
“In Ibrahima we are signing a player who will add to the quality we already have here," he added.
"His physical attributes are very impressive; he is quick, he is very strong and he is dominant in the air.
“He comes to us after playing more than 90 times for Leipzig in the Bundesliga and European football. I’m sure that number would have been more but for some injury, but even so that means he already has experience of what it takes to compete in two outstandingly difficult competitions.
“He also played for a team in the Champions League in high-pressure matches, who have a similar football vision to ourselves.
“I am confident we are signing a player who can play for us right away, but he is a boy of 22 years of age who has room to improve because of his massive potential. I know that’s something he is eager to work on with us to become an even better player.
“For me, that’s really exciting because I have seen how good he is already and I’m looking forward to working with him when he joins up with us in pre-season.”
The player himself said: “I’m really happy to be joining such a massive club like Liverpool.
“It’s a really exciting moment for me and my family and I am really looking forward to meeting my new teammates, the staff and getting started on this new chapter.
“Right now, my focus is on the U21 European Championships with France, but after this competition I know I will be joining one of the best teams in the world and that gives me a great feeling.
“I have worked very hard for many years to get to this point, but I would like to say a big thank you to everyone at RB Leipzig and all the people I worked with there – the coaches, my teammates, the staff and especially the fans.
“Your support helped me grow up during my time there and become not only a better player, but a better man and I will always be grateful for it.”
