Jurgen Klopp is close to restoring Liverpool to its former status as a title-winning machine, according to Enzo Maresca, the former assistant to Pep Guardiola.

On Wednesday night, Maresca, the current manager of Leicester City, will travel with his squad to Liverpool for a Carabao Cup third-round matchup.

He has been very complimentary about Klopp's team and how they play in the lead up to the game.

The Italian, who worked under Guardiola for two seasons, said: “I’ve tried to analyze and study Jurgen Klopp for a long time now because the way they work and the way they press is unbelievable. When they had Sadio Mane, Mo Salah, and Roberto Firmino, it was incredible.

“They are very intense, very aggressive. The game, the competition, the opponent—none of it matters. They always play the same way—it's like a machine, to be honest.‌ In transition and off the ball, they have been the best team in the world during the past seven or eight years. In terms of style of play, Manchester City are the best in the world. But for transition and off the ball, Liverpool are at the same level.

‌“Now, they have some new players. They need time to adapt, but they will go again. It’s impossible to maintain the same level for five or six years. But very soon they are going to be at the same level that they have been.

“You need time to recycle the team. They are changing some players, but it will only be a short time before they are fighting for the Premier League and Champions League again. For sure, a short time.”