Andoni Iraola has explained why he didn't have to convince Bradley Barcola to move to Liverpool - and has outlined the attitude that has surprised him from the double Champions League winner.
The Reds ended a lengthy pursuit of Barcola on Monday when they confirmed a deal with Paris Saint-Germain worth an initial guaranteed fee of £106million and a potential further £17m in add-ons.
While Barcola hasn't played since scoring for France in the 6-4 World Cup bronze medal match defeat to England on July 18, he is in contention for an immediate full debut in the Premier League clash at promoted Ipswich Town on Friday evening.
Iraola on Barcola's mindset
The winger trained normally throughout pre-season and has had a number of sessions with his new team-mates throughout this week.
Iraola believes Barcola is already fully invested in the collective ethos of the squad as he detailed his initial conversations with the new arrival.
"I always had the feeling with Bradley that I didn’t need to convince him to come," said the Liverpool head coach. "I didn’t ever think I would need to convince him but sometimes when you talk to players, you feel that you have to sell your idea and sell the club.
"I think because he has had the experience of facing Liverpool in the last two seasons, he felt the stadium, he felt the club and he was really convinced.
"All the questions he was asking were about football, tactics. The position he was going to play.
"He was very open, also, about playing on the right, of playing up front, of giving us chances so we can work better as a team. It wasn’t just about the individual or Bradley saying 'how am I going to shine?'. It was about the collective. I liked it."
Surprised by collective approach
Asked if it surprised him, Iraola said: "Yes, a little bit. He is someone who has won the Champions League the last two seasons and been very important (for PSG).
"But he was thinking collectively, not just about his position. It’s nice to hear those things. It’s true that he doesn’t speak perfect English and things were being translated. Sometimes we survived in English! But from the beginning, I had a good feeling. It was nice."
Barcola was Liverpool's fourth and final new arrival of the summer market after Jeremy Jacquet, Victor Munoz and loan signing Ronald Araujo, with the Reds having the biggest net spend of the window despite losing established regulars Mohamed Salah, Andy Robertson, Ibrahima Konate and Curtis Jones.
Transfer window decisions
Iraola admitted there were options for further signings ahead of Tuesday's deadline that were ultimately not taken by the club, but is happy with the numbers in his squad.
"As a manager you need the players for today but if they (the club) explain to you the vision and the long-term project, you also have to understand the club," said the Basque.
"I think sometimes it doesn't make sense to pay crazy money - the market was the market - for players who maybe in the long-term you don't need. Then you will need this money to solve other problems in that position.
"Sometimes it's better to look a little bit further than the next game and the next month. I think that's what has happened in some position in this market."
Iraola added: "The issue we have is that we have three players with long-term injuries since I've been here at the start of pre-season. Giovanni Leoni is already going to be out for a year and Conor (Bradley) and Hugo (Ekitike) are both long-term as well. They are players that we trust in the long-term and want them to be our players.
"Sometimes we decide not to think more in the mid or long-term and just a solution for these three months. But at the end, we want them to be players for Liverpool in their positions.
"The club has decided not to sign someone because we need them for these two or three months and instead trust the players we have, us working with the players we have and thinking of the long-term."
As well as Leoni, Bradley and Ekitike, Liverpool remain without Joe Gomez and Federico Chiesa for the trip to Portman Road. Barcola will be pressing for a start out wide where Victor Munoz and Cody Gakpo impressed in the 2-2 draw at home to Nottingham Forest last weekend, while Ryan Gravenberch is pushing for a recall in central midfield.
