Liverpool sign Olympiacos left-back Kostas Tsimikas for ₤11.75 million

Having been tipped to join the club for several days now, Liverpool have officially signed Olympiacos left-back Kostas Tsimikas.

Liverpool journalist Kevin Palmer reported that sporting director Michael Edwards and Olympiacos general manager Lina Souloukou met on Thursday in Wolverhampton to iron out the details of the transfer.

After putting pen to paper, Tsimikas expressed his excitement with the move, stating: “I’m very happy, I’m very happy to be here. For me, [it’s] the biggest club in the world. It’s an honour to be here and I will give my best”.

The Greek defender has played in 45 games this season for the league champions, bagging 7 assists in the process. Considering that Liverpool often used James Milner and Joe Gomez out of position to deputize for Andy Robertson when needed, signing a natural left-sided fullback became a priority for Jurgen Klopp.

Earlier this week, it seemed that Liverpool’s priority was Norwich City full-back Jamal Lewis. The Northern Ireland international was seemingly keen to work under Jurgen Klopp and was willing to begin as a squad player.

However, negotiations between Liverpool and the relegated side broke down as Norwich City were demanding ₤20 million, while Liverpool were only willing to bid about half of that.

Details of the contract indicate that the fee could rise to ₤15 million, with Olympiacos negotiating a 20% sell-on fee into the transfer.

Tsimikas has enjoyed a breakthrough campaign this season. His playing style is similar to that of Robertson, with the Greek international keen to make runs down the left flank while also sticking to his defensive responsibilities.

The defender will wear the #21 shirt for the Reds.

Despite his promising displays in Greece, Tsimikas will face an uphill battle to cement a consistent presence in the starting 11, with Andy Robertson establishing himself as one of the world’s finest left-backs.

However, he will have the opportunity to learn from one of the world’s finest as he acclimatises to Liverpool’s style of play and life in England.