What Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp said about Cardiff City target Nathaniel Clyne after Manchester United win
By Ian Mitchelmore
Tuesday 18th December 2018
Jurgen Klopp has hailed the impact of Cardiff City target Nathaniel Clyne after the defender's performance in Liverpool's 3-1 win over Manchester United at Anfield on Sunday afternoon.
The right-back was thrust into the limelight against Jose Mourinho's side in what was his first league appearance of the 2018/19 campaign due to the injuries suffered by Trent Alexander-Arnold and James Milner.
It comes after Neil Warnock confirmed that the 27-year-old is on his January transfer window shopping list.
But the defensive injuries suffered by the Reds - who are also currently without Joel Matip and Joe Gomez - in recent weeks could well have put a spanner in the works as far as a potential Cardiff swoop for Clyne is concerned.
Jurgen Klopp:
“Clyney: first game of the season and I was sure he couldn't play 90 minutes but he adapted brilliantly to the style,” Klopp told the Liverpool Echo after his side's victory over the Red Devils.
“A big squad isn't there to make each member of the squad happy. It's to give everybody the opportunity to show that he should play. If you don't show that, then you don't have an opportunity any more to be honest.
“The best case is that everybody is 100% fit and performs at the highest level.
“The best example of that is Nathaniel Clyne. Since I have been here, he has played 100 or so games, then he got a bad injury and was out. Trent emerged, then Joe got fit, and the situation changed.
“You can train at the highest level, but you have to wait. Is that nice? No. Is it the job? Yes. That's how it is.
“Because Clyney did that and trained at a really high level then he could perform like he did tonight, just amazing.
"We were all a bit afraid that Clyney might shoot when Shaq (Xherdan Shaqiri) scored. If Clyney would have scored tonight it would have been a real sensation!”
Warnock has stated that he wants to sign a right-back, a central midfielder and a striker in the upcoming window.
And ahead of the Bluebirds' defeat to Watford on Saturday, the Yorkshireman openly spoke about Clyne.
NEIL WARNOCK:
Asked whether there was interest in Clyne, he said: "Yes.
"I know Nathaniel. I gave him his debut, a lovely lad and I know his mother well she is a wonderful woman."
"We’ve spoke about a number of players and even the player we’re talking about signing - as I said to Kevin Blackwell and Ken Choo this week - it doesn’t mean they’re going to be better than what we’ve got," he added.
"January is such a difficult window and you can sometimes pay over the top.
"It’s as difficult as I’ve ever seen it."
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