According to The Times, Southampton defender Virgil Van Dijk is keen on moving to Anfield and has chosen to move to Liverpool, having already agreed to a deal of £200,000 per week for the next five years. That shows he could snub any offer from both Manchester City and Chelsea.
Now, Liverpool must sit to agree to a fee, with the Saints believed to be hoping for a £60 million deal, breaking the previous transfer record for a central defender set by John Stones when he transferred to Manchester City from Everton for £47.5 million in the previous summer.
This could amount to a big deal for Liverpool for a lot of reason, one of which is what the amount involve means for them. At £200,000 per week, he would be the club’s top earner and would also break their transfer record if the reported £60 million fee is anything to go by. By splashing such big funds on a transfer, Fenway Sports Group are revealing they are will support Jurgen Klopp and provide him with whatever he needs to move the club ahead of rivals
It is believed that Jurgen Klopp is one of the reason Van Dijk desires a move to Liverpool rather than Chelsea and Manchester City, and that proves just how hard the Italian has worked to make the club one of the leading clubs in England over the last season and a half. The centre-back obviously thinks the Reds have what it takes to lift the Premier League trophy next season, and with Van Dijk’s defence, their chances of claiming the title will be increased.
More often than not in the 2016/17 season, Liverpool’s defence failed them. Conceding twice despite ruling the game against Burnley, conceding another three against Bournemouth and Swansea, all drastic result that could have made all the difference in their title race.
With Van Dijk in the Liverpool back line, possibly partnered with Joel Matip as first choice, it would be a massive improvement from the likes of Ragnar Klavan, Lucas Leiva or Dejan Lovren. By keeping most of his focus on improving the squad’s defence, it shows that Klopp’s team could go to the top of the Premier League next season.