Liverpool have announced the signing of Greek full-back Konstantinos Tsimikas from Olympiacos for a fee of £11.75 million.
Liverpool have officially announced the arrival of left-back Konstantinos Tsimikas from Greek champions Olympiacos. The The 24-year-old has arrived in a deal worth £11.75 million and has signed a five-year contract with the Reds, reports Sky Sports.
Tsimikas came through the Olympiacos academy and joined the senior team in 2015 but was loaned out in 2017 for two terms, once to Esbjerg fB for six months, and then Willem II for a year. However, after joining his parent club back in June of 2018, he was able to cement his place in the team.
This season, the Greek defender has built on that, and shaped up to be one of the brightest full-back prospects in the continent starting 27 games for his team, assisting five times in the process. He was pivotal in Olympiacos’ season as they clinched the title 18 points clear off runners-up PAOK.
Consequently, his tremendous season had attracted interest from the newly crowned champions of England – Liverpool.
Kostas is a Red! ? pic.twitter.com/FTTxtGSlpr
— Liverpool FC (Premier League Champions ?) (@LFC) August 10, 2020
Liverpool’s starting left-back spot has been occupied by Andy Robertson for three seasons now and to say that he has been impressive would be an understatement. Over the course of the last two seasons, the Scotsman has played 72 games in the Premier League, providing 23 assists and scoring two goals.
Robertson’s attacking output during this time is only two less than his partner-in-crime Trent Alexander-Arnold, while maintaining a significantly stronger defensive display.
While Robertson hasn’t had any major injury so far in his time at Anfield, there have been concerns over fatigue, especially this season. The 26-year-old has been the Reds’ only option in that role, with James Milner acting as a makeshift left-back from time to time. Milner gives Liverpool a decent base, but at 34 years old, is at the last stage of his career.
Thus, Liverpool were in the market a backup for Robertson. The Reds’ first choice for this role, though, was Jamal Lewis who got relegated with Norwich City this season. However, their bid of £10 million was rejected, with the Canaries demanding a higher fee. After inconclusive talks with Norwich, their focus shifted towards Tsimikas
Tsimikas will not only act as an able deputy for Robertson; he has the capabilities to play on the right if necessary. This gives the Merseyside outfit the option of resting any of their two key men before a decisive battle. For the price of £11.75 million, Klopp has a player at his disposal who not only fits into his system, but extends its capabilities.
