Harvey Elliott rejected offers from ‘pretty much everywhere’ to join Liverpool, says Jurgen Klopp

Jurgen Klopp has revealed Liverpool fended off interest from most of Europe’s top clubs to sign record-breaking teenager, Harvey Elliott.

The Premier League’s youngest ever player was signed from Fulham over the weekend and had been linked with likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and RB Leipzig.

Could Elliott play a first-team role next term? Five things to know…

• The 16-year-old joined Liverpool on Sunday after his schoolboy contract with Fulham expired in June.
• He won’t be able to sign a professional contract with the Reds until his 17th birthday next April.
• In September 2018, Elliott became Fulham and the League Cup’s youngest ever player at 15 years and 174 days.
• He made his debut against Napoli in a 3-0 pre-season defeat on Sunday.
• Klopp has since stated that Elliott “needs game time”, suggesting he could play a first-team role next season.

Having secured the tyro’s signature, Klopp had no hesitations handing Elliott his unofficial Liverpool debut against Napoli in Edinburgh at the weekend, introducing the Surrey-born midfielder in the closing stages at Murrayfield.

Speaking after his brief cameo in Scotland, the German has revealed that the Reds beat some of the continent’s finest clubs to prise Elliott away from west London.

“I can say many positive things about the boy because we have signed him and he decided to join us when he could have gone pretty much anywhere,” Klopp said.

“He wanted to be part of Liverpool because of his talent.

“Now that he is here, let’s work with him. He needs game time, we have to see where he will get that.

“He is obviously a fine, fine footballer – that is the reason why we were really interested.”

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Klopp on Kent

Turning his attention to a player who has participated heavily in pre-season this summer, Klopp believes winger Ryan Kent – who excelled with Rangers last term –  must now settle at a club rather than spend another season out on loan.

“His time is over for loans,” Klopp said.

“At the age, he is now, he needs to find a place where he can settle. We will see what happens but a loan is not planned.

“He came back as a completely different player and it was a very important year for him.

“It helped being with a good manager, at a good club, with good competition, and it was exactly the right thing for him at the right moment.”