Jurgen Klopp criticized Chelsea midfielders Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia for turning down Liverpool in the summer transfer window.
Despite reaching a £111 million agreement with Brighton in August, Caicedo opted for Chelsea, sealing a move for £115m.
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Just days after Chelsea secured Lavia from Southampton, Liverpool faced more disappointment. Despite multiple rejected offers for the 19-year-old, Chelsea finalized a £58m transfer.
In a Monday evening Q&A with Liverpool supporters at Anfield, Klopp shared a light moment, jokingly referencing that “other central defensive midfielders don’t want to join Liverpool” when discussing the decision to sign Wataru Endo.
‘The summer we had with a few strange things happen in the transfer market but here between us I can say: ‘My god we were lucky’,’ Klopp said.
‘We didn’t know that in the moment, to be honest, we didn’t realise in that moment. But I am really happy it worked out like that. You never know if it will work out like that.
‘I had an extremely good feeling before we started pre-season, we already had Macca and Dom already in and then we knew there was a chance for Ryan. Then we obviously realised other central defensive midfielders don’t want to join Liverpool… yeah, you see what happens.
‘And then we found Endo. He’s an exceptional player, he is, absolutely. He’s 30 years old, experienced, captain of Japan and it’s not possible, sure [he’s] not the first pick because the transfer market is like that, we don’t go for a 30-year-old player who plays in Germany and nearly got relegated. But thank god we looked about things twice and had a deeper look and got this boy and he wanted to come definitely and that helps.
‘Now we have a squad together, a new leadership group, if you want, with very experienced players, still young some of them and a group around who is full of desire, full of passion who will give everything to this club.
‘So that is the start and now we have to try to make something special happen.’
