£75M VAN KOP MOVE
LIVERPOOL have finally won their battle for Virgil van Dijk after agreeing a world record £75m deal with Southampton last night.
The Dutch defender, 26, will join officially on Monday when the transfer window opens after having a medical yesterday.
Liverpool confirmed the deal – believed to be worth around £200,000 a week – last night, and his arrival on Merseyside ends a long-running chase that exploded into a furious public spat with Southampton last summer.
“Today is a proud day for me and my family as I join one of the biggest clubs in world football,” said Van Dijk, who will wear the No.4 shirt at Anfield.
“I can’t wait to pull on the famous red shirt for the first time in front of the Kop and will give everything I have to try and help this great club achieve something special in the years to come.
“I would also like to say thank you to Les Reed, the board, manager, players, fans and everyone at Southampton.
“I will always be indebted to the club for giving me the opportunity to play in the Premier League and, despite a difficult last few months, I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at Saints and have made friends for life at the club. Thank you for everything.”
Saints vice-chairman Reed blocked Van Dijk’s switch to Merseyside in the summer after accusing Reds boss Jurgen Klopp of tapping up their star player.
But since making a public apology, the Anfield club’s American owners Fenway Sports Group have been quietly building bridges in a bid to get the deal back on.
Saints finally agreed after Liverpool offered to make Van Dijk the most expensive defender of all time.
The fee will eclipse the £54m Manchester City forked out to recruit Kyle Walker from Tottenham in the summer.
A Saints statement read: “Southampton have agreed a fee that will set a new world record for a defender. The club wishes Virgil well in his future when the deal is completed on January 1, 2018.”
Van Dijk is in line to make his debut against Merseyside rivals Everton in the FA Cup a week tomorrow.
His decision is a blow for Manchester City and Chelsea, who were both big admirers of the defender.
Van Dijk had an uneasy relationship with Saints boss Mauricio Pellegrino since being banished from training after handing in a pre-season transfer request.
The centre-back played 67 league games after joining from Celtic for £13m in 2015. BARCELONA midfielder Paulinho has told Brazil team-mate Philippe Coutinho to join him at the Spanish giants, who had a £119m bid for the player rejected by Liverpool in the summer.
Paulinho said: “I think if you have the opportunity to come, you will not regret it. “I just have to encourage it to
happen.”