Jurgen Klopp hailed Thiago Alcantara as one of the few players in the world that can improve Liverpool after the Spaniard joined from Bayern Munich.
Widely regarded as one of the world's best midfielders, Thiago won seven Bundesliga titles in seven years at Bayern and was instrumental as they lifted the Champions League last month in his last game for the club.
However, with just one year left on his contract, it only cost Liverpool £20 million (Dh95m) plus £5 million in add-ons to secure his signature.
The 29-year-old becomes Liverpool's first major signing for two years, in which time they have won the Champions League and a first league title for 30 years.
"He is an absolutely exceptional player and you are right it is difficult to improve a team like us in the moment in a normal way," said Klopp.
"If we take 3-400 million maybe we could find some players but even then it is not easy. In this specific case it is a player who brings a different dimension in our game, that's true.
"Some skills which in general are pretty rare but they suit us pretty well. It says nothing about the other players it is only different and that is what I was really interested in."
Thiago said in an emotional open letter to Bayern fans on Friday that it was the lure of a new challenge that convinced him to leave after trophy hauls in Germany and at Barcelona, where he started his career.
"He was pretty excited about the opportunity as well so there was not a lot of convincing needed," added Klopp.
"That helps as well, that somebody really wants to be a part of the specific project is nice. All the things we agree together. That's a win-win situation and I'm really happy that we could do it."
Thiago is not the only high-profile player to have swapped the Bundesliga for the Premier League during the transfer window as most of Chelsea's £200 million spending spree went on bringing Timo Werner and Kai Havertz to England from RB Leipzig and Bayer Leverkusen respectively.
Both are expected to feature against Liverpool on Sunday in an early clash between two titles contenders as Klopp said he rated Werner, who was linked with a move to Anfield, and Havertz as the two outstanding young talents in Germany not already at Bayern or Borussia Dortmund.
"It's a really good league. Yes with one very dominant team, but the rest is really tactically good, lots of talents. The Premier League is the league with the most money, the most competitive league and they are interested in these type of players," added Klopp.
"I think Havertz and Werner especially from these young boys were the outstanding players. All the other young and outstanding players play at Borussia Dortmund. It is a good league for England to scout and as long as they can afford the transfer fees we will see these kind of transfers for sure."
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
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10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
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Why the Tourist Club?
Originally, The Club (which many people chose to call the “British Club”) was the only place where one could use the beach with changing rooms and a shower, and get refreshments.
In the early 1970s, the Government of Abu Dhabi wanted to give more people a place to get together on the beach, with some facilities for children. The place chosen was where the annual boat race was held, which Sheikh Zayed always attended and which brought crowds of locals and expatriates to the stretch of beach to the left of Le Méridien and the Marina.
It started with a round two-storey building, erected in about two weeks by Orient Contracting for Sheikh Zayed to use at one these races. Soon many facilities were planned and built, and members were invited to join.
Why it was called “Nadi Al Siyahi” is beyond me. But it is likely that one wanted to convey the idea that this was open to all comers. Because there was no danger of encountering alcohol on the premises, unlike at The Club, it was a place in particular for the many Arab expatriate civil servants to join. Initially the fees were very low and membership was offered free to many people, too.
Eventually there was a skating rink, bowling and many other amusements.
Frauke Heard-Bey is a historian and has lived in Abu Dhabi since 1968.
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