Virgil fee is a high price for fans

THE £75million Liverpool have paid for Virgil van Dijk is absolutely obscene.

What the Reds have done with the Dutchman (left) is buy a good – but nowhere near proven – Premier League defender.

In a sane market, that sort of sum would possibly buy you the greatest player of all time. What always surprises me about these deals is this idea that it doesn’t matter to supporters what clubs pay because it isn’t the fans’ money they are spending.

But it is. It is your TV subscription, your merchandise – this is all paid for by you.

It doesn’t matter if you support a Premier League team or a non-League one, if you buy a TV subscription or Premier League-affiliated merchandise such as the FIFA computer game then you are making a contribution.

And while transfer fees and salaries continue to go up, you will be expected to contribute even more.