Liverpool legend Phil Thompson has backed Sunderland's deal for Bayern Munich defender Jan Kirchhoff.

Sunderland signed Kirchhoff last week, despite an unenviable injury record.

But Thommo told Sky Sports: "Sam can't be going and looking at players for £25m.

"They might have that money but are there the players that want to go to Sunderland. There's a certain commodity there of what Sunderland are looking at, how they're going to get them to come in. Players who maybe good players on the continent who just maybe cannot get into their first team at that sort of level and you think he'll do us a job. That is one place they need it – at centre back."