KLOPP KOPS £60M VIRGIL
Huge fee and £200k-a-week deal
LIVERPOOL have won their heavyweight scrap with Manchester City and Chelsea for Virgil van Dijk.
The Reds will make Van Dijk the most expensive defender ever at £60million, with the Holland star confirming he had chosen them ahead of their two Premier League rivals.
All three clubs had talks with the Southampton centre-back over the past few weeks.
But it was the charisma and enthusiasm of boss Jurgen Klopp (above) that persuaded Van Dijk to pick Anfield.
Liverpool declined to comment on any move, but officials from the club are now in discussions with Saints over
the fee. It is understand Liverpool – who have yet to make an official offer – will have to match the £60m City are prepared to pay for the 25 year old.
They will do so and then thrash out a contract that could be worth £200,000 a week. The previous world record fee for a defender was the £50m Chelsea paid to bring David Luiz back to Stamford Bridge last summer.
Van Dijk has spent the past two months deliberating over his future. Liverpool were considered the outsiders of the trio vying for his signature, but won the race because of the vision Klopp sold to the defender.
The German made clear Van Dijk would be the kingpin of his team, and painted the same picture he had to Philippe Coutinho – that the player could become an Anfield legend.
Klopp suggested that at Chelsea or City he would be just another player fighting for a place, but at Liverpool would be rock on which the club’s push to return to the top was built.
Liverpool are also trying to seal a £35m deal for Roma’s Mohamed Salah having had a £28m bid rejected.