"We were thinking about bringing in players with quality - that's the first thing. He is also English and that is important for the Champions League list. We were thinking about improving the team and Johnson is a very good player who will do that," the boss told the club's official website.
"We knew the market was going to be difficult this summer and some of it has been crazy. Manchester City and Chelsea were there - they were making offers. We had to be quick and the club acted quickly. It was down to the player whether he chose us or City or Chelsea and he chose us. It was very clear from talking to him that he wanted to play for Liverpool."