Jurgen Klopp was proved spot on after Liverpool transfer suggestion FSG disagreed with

Liverpool has overhauled its recruitment structure this summer following the departure of Jurgen Klopp . But far from being at odds with FSG's transfer goals, the erstwhile manager was at the heart of some of the club's best business .

The timely return of Michael Edwards , in particular, has created an impression that Klopp's influence had grown to the point where the FSG numbers men felt marginalized. Indeed, Dr. Ian Graham has recently admitted that Darwin Nunez and Luis Diaz were both "Klopp signings".

But he was also keen to stress that the process always remained collaborative, with each part of the operation open to ideas from the others. While the dynamic inevitably evolved over almost nine years, Klopp had a voice in the Anfield recruitment structure from the very beginning of his tenure, and FSG will be thankful that he did.

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The Times is publishing extracts from Graham's new book, How to Win the Premier League . It provides fascinating insight into how the transfer model worked at Liverpool throughout the Klopp era.

While some names would be surfaced by the best-in-class data team, of which Graham was a crucial part, others would come from Klopp. Wherever a suggestion came from, the numbers would be crunched, and the video packages would be put together.

So it was that in Klopp's very first summer, the name Joel Matip was mentioned. It turned out that video analysis had been done "years before", leaving Edwards with a negative impression of the center-back.

In fact, Matip had even been branded "mistake every game". That depiction is unrecognizable now for a player who would go on to become one of Klopp's most dependable servants when fitness allowed.

Fortunately, the FSG data team were open to a rethink. At Klopp's suggestion, they re-examined the Schalke man, who was set to become a free agent.

"Jurgen’s interest gave us the impetus to look at Matip again," Graham recalled. "He had huge experience for his age, and our Possession Value model [analysing positive and negative contributions on the ball] insisted that since 2012 he’d been easily above the level of the average Premier League centre back. Eddy ordered the video work to be done on Matip and, on reviewing it, changed his mind.

"At Melwood [training ground] one morning, Eddy bumped into Jurgen in the corridor and said: “Matip — I had a look, he’s good!” To which Jurgen replied: “Yes. I told you so.” Eddy’s response? “Great, let’s f***ing sign him then.” The second brick of the rebuild was in place."

Shortly after agreeing the deal, Edwards went out to watch Matip play against Borussia Monchengladbach. He slipped on the halfway line, costing his side a goal, and Graham recounts how it appeared to reinforce the opinions of Bayern Munich scouts in attendance. How wrong they were.

This, then, was a win for Klopp's eye for talent and for the data team. The now-legendary manager prompted a rethink on the FSG recruitment side, and the numbers then wholly supported pursuing a move.

Liverpool supporters would love to see a bit of the "let’s f***ing sign him then" attitude from the returning Edwards this summer, although there can be no denying Arne Slot's claim that it is a far harder team to strengthen these days. But if the head coach or the numbers men managed to find a player even half as good as Matip, it would be a transfer worth making.

Liverpool.com says: As the longest-serving Klopp signing, Matip deserves a special place in Anfield folklore. He really was the transfer that started it all, and would help to define the trophy-laden era.

And while Liverpool grew beyond a number of its early signings, Matip never once looked out of place at the very highest level. Ibrahima Konate would have expected to walk into the team at the expense of the injury-prone veteran, but was often kept out on merit.

Thank goodness the recruitment team were open to Klopp's suggestion. It's a template to follow as Liverpool settles into a new era under Slot, with suggestions from all quarters worth examining as the wait for a first signing drags on.