Record £75m Van Dijk deal

Liverpool’s world-record £75 million deal for Southampton’s Virgil van Dijk is set to net Celtic a £7.5m windfall. The Anfield club announced the signing, from 1 January, yesterday, breaking the record fee for a defender.

Celtic signed the 26-yearold Dutchman from Groningen for £2.6m in 2013 and raked in £13m when they sold him to the Saints two years later, adding a ten per cent sell-on clause.

The latest fee eclipses the £54m paid by Manchester City for England full-back

Kyle Walker from Tottenham during the summer.

Van Dijk, who was also reported to have been interesting Chelsea and Manchester City, has finally secured the move he wanted after a protracted transfer saga reached its end. The Dutchman, who handed in a transfer request during the summer when trying to push through a move, posted a message on his official Twitter account, posing with a Liverpool shirt.

“Delighted and honoured to have agreed to become a Liverpool FC player,” Van Dijk wrote. “Today is a proud day for me and my family as I join one of the biggest clubs in world football.”

Van Dijk joined Southampton from Celtic during September 2015 and under the terms of that transfer the Scottish club are set to receive a sell-on fee in the region of £7.5 million.

A statement from Liverpool read: “Liverpool Football Club can confirm they have reached an agreement with Southampton for the transfer of Virgil van Dijk. The Reds have agreed a deal with the south coast club, and the player himself, that will see the 26-year-old defender move to Anfield when the transfer window re-opens on January 1, 2018.”