‘Destined for great things’ – Eight quotes on Liverpool signing Diogo Jota

After bringing in Thiago, Liverpool have now completed the surprise signing of Diogo Jota from Wolves for an estimated £41million. 

Jota scored 44 goals in 131 appearances for Wolves and will now give Jurgen Klopp some real options across the midfield and forward line.

Here are eight key quotes on Liverpool’s new recruit, from those who know him best.

Jose Luis Perez Caminero

Jota joined Atletico Madrid from Pacos de Ferreira in the summer of 2016 and immediately impressed their former sporting director.

“He is a young player, very fast and vertical, carries the ball very well and has a great run,” Caminero said in 2016.

“Diogo has a great projection and stands out for his one-on-one ability and his versatility because he can play in several positions.”

Kevin Thelwell

After struggling for first-team opportunities in Madrid, former Wolves sporting director Kevin Thelwell helped bring Jota to Molineux in 2017.

“We were playing in the Championship, of course, so we needed someone who was aggressive, dynamic and competitive. He is all of those things,” Thelwell told Goal in September 2020.

“I used to say to him ‘Diogo, you’re British!’ That’s what he’s like in terms of his outlook and the way he behaves on the pitch. He’s got that bouncebackability. He can run into a brick wall but he’ll bounce straight back up, no problem. He shakes it off.

“Some players find it difficult to deal with the brutality of English football, especially in the Championship, but he was fine. And on top of all that, he has a nose for assists and goals.

“From our perspective, it always felt like he would make a difference. When you perform as he did in the Champ, it’s a precursor to what you could achieve in the Premier League, and he’s carried on that form since. He’s been able to produce year on year.”

Garth Crooks

“Every so often you see a player and a manager who you just know are destined for great things,” Crooks told BBC Sport in September 2018.

“Wolves have Diogo Jota to thank for a magnificent performance and the player is fast becoming a Premier League star.”

READ: The nine Liverpool signings that cost £30million+ and how they fared

Phil Thompson

Thompson was left stunned by Jota’s performance for Wolves in a 1-1 draw against Arsenal back in Nove,ber 2019.

“Jota, I think, could play for anyone of the top teams, I really do,” the former Liverpool defender Thompson told Soccer Saturday.

“Today, he was the best player on this pitch by a mile. He gets his body in between, he’s quick, he’s got an assist in him, he’s got a goal in him.

“When they took him off near the end, he was absolutely shattered. But I thought a few Arsenal players have probably gone, ‘wow, thank goodness for that’.”

Conor Coady

Coady was Jota’s captain during his time at Wolves, and he praised the forward’s work rate after a 3-0 victory over Norwich in February 2020.

“We know Diogo scores goals, but it’s everything else that he brings to the team; everything out of possession, how hard he works to win the ball back”, Coady told Wolves’ official website.

“We saw it numerous times against Norwich, where he’s collecting the ball in his own half and running the full length of the pitch to get us up the field, so he’s a phenomenal footballer and it’s a pleasure to have him here.”

READ: An Xl of Liverpool academy graduates still playing elsewhere: Suso, Sterling…

Nuno Espirito Santo

Santo brought Jota to Wolves and gave him a fond farewell following his £41million switch to Jurgen Klopp’s Premier League champions.

“Diogo is amazing and everybody knows the relationship we built. What Diogo did for us is absolutely fantastic,” the Wolves manager said.

“I think Diogo is going to the right place and we wish him all the best, knowing that it never be forgotten, especially by our fans, all the memorable moments that Diogo provided.”

Jurgen Klopp

After completing the signing of the Portugal international, Klopp outlined the reasons for bringing him to Anfield.

“Oh my god, plenty of reasons! He’s a player who gives us so many options to use him”, Klopp told Liverpool’s official website.

“He’s 23 years old, still far away from being kind of a finished article, so much potential. He has the speed, he can combine, can defend, can press.”

Diogo Jota

Jota has signed a five-year contract with the Premier League champions and believes Liverpool is the perfect club to take his game to the next level.

“The most important thing is trying to know the manager and his style of play,” Jota told Liverpool’s official website.” I think this is the right one. Jürgen, I think, is a fantastic coach.

“I looked at him when I was a kid and he was already playing in Champions League finals, so I’ve known him for a long time – not personally, but now I will.

“I think it is the right manager for me and at this stage of my career and I think it is a good – and the right – step.”

By Sam May

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