‘I have followed Sadio for a lot of years since his impressive performances in the Olympics in 2012, and then watched his development in Austria and in his time at Southampton,’ Klopp said.

‘Since I came here I have spoken to the staff a lot about him and have always felt he could be a very good signing for us. He has a lot of quality, works hard and has a very good goalscoring record.

The German boss insists he is eager to begin working with the Senegal international as they begin their pre-season preparations.

‘When I spoke to him I could tell that he was passionate about joining the club and playing for our fantastic fans. I think they will be just as excited about seeing him put on a Liverpool shirt as I am,’ he added

‘It is great that we have managed to sign him so he can work with us from the first day of pre-season.’

The Senegal forward scored 25 goals in 75 appearances during his two-year spell at Southampton.