Liverpool break the bank
Liverpool have announced the signing of Virgil van Dijk from Southampton after agreeing a world record £75million (NZ$142.14m) fee for a defender.
The Dutch international centre-back was close to joining Liverpool before the English Premier League season started in August.
Van Dijk, 26, has also been a target for Manchester City and Chelsea, but the Merseyside club have finally won the race for his signature after confirming the move on Wednesday (Thursday NZ time).
Southampton manager Mauricio Pellegrino hasn’t played Van Dijk in recent fixtures this month ahead of an impending move.
It’s reported that Van Dijk has signed a contract worth £180,000 (NZ$341,100) with Liverpool. The transfer breaks the previous world record fee for a defender after Manchester City spent £54million (NZ$102.33m) to sign England international right-back Kyle Walker from Tottenham Hotspur earlier this year.
Van Dijk has won 16 caps for Holland since his international debut in 2015 and played domestically for Dutch club Groningen before signing with perennial Scottish champions Celtic in 2013.
He joined Southampton in 2015 for £13million (NZ$24.63m) but his move to Liverpool for almost six times that price makes the Dutchman the eighth most expensive footballer ever.