Jurgen Klopp reveals how Dominic Solanke has improved since Liverpool days ahead of reunion

Jurgen Klopp has explained how former Liverpool striker Dominic Solanke has improved since leaving Liverpool as the two prepare for a reunion this Sunday. 

The Liverpool boss will get the chance to catch up with former Red Solanke this weekend when his side face Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium in the Premier League.

It's Liverpool's first fixture in almost two weeks, but they have already beaten Bournemouth twice already this season.

One of those came in a 3-1 Premier League victory that also saw Alexis Mac Allister wrongly sent off, while the other was a 2-1 win thanks to a Darwin Nunez worldie in the Carabao Cup fourth round.

However, the Cherries will be a completely different animal this Sunday, Andoni Iraola having masterminded a remarkable turnaround on the south coast.

Bournemouth have climbed to 12th in the league having played fewer games than those around them, with Solanke's ruthlessness in front of goal proving pivotal to their success.

Since the beginning of December 2023, Solanke has netted six goals in as many league matches, including a hat-trick against Nottingham Forest - performances that earned him the most recent Premier League Player of the Month award.

With Solanke looking to haunt his former club Liverpool on Sunday, Klopp has admitted that he is delighted to see the progress the 26-year-old is making.

"I'm so happy for Dom because when we signed him we were all so excited about the talent he had," Klopp said in his pre-match press conference.

"He had so much potential but it is Liverpool and we had other good strikers as well. He was probably not the most clinical yet but the talent was obvious.

"It was the right decision to go to Bournemouth, last season he scored enough goals but this season he is up there with the greatest.

"He is a really talented kid, I'm very happy for him."

Liverpool signed Solanke in 2017 after he had impressed coming through Chelsea's youth academy, albeit he seldom got the opportunity to shine during his time in west London.

He did enjoy significantly more game time at Anfield, but he was unable to make his mark during his 27 appearances in a red shirt.

Solanke managed just one goal for the club, that coming in his final Liverpool appearance in a 4-0 victory over Brighton.

Despite having only played against Everton and Newcastle more frequently than Liverpool, the in-form forward is yet to score against the Reds. Hopefully, that doesn't change this Sunday.