The move of Virgil van Dijk from Southampton to Liverpool has created waves in the media circle. And why should it not, the deal was decided for a world record amount of £75 million. Though this move meant that Southampton lost one of their best players, they must be happy with such a record-breaking number at the end of the day. And for the Liverpool team, this deal meant that they stole a match on Chelsea and Manchester City who were also reported to be considering a move for the Dutchman.
Although the huge amount Liverpool had to pay for van Dijk looks to be a little disconcerting for the club, still his arrival could solve the main problem that Liverpool is facing this season. Their defence has been a huge disappointment. So far this season, the Merseyside have conceded 24 goals. While their offence has been spectacular with the way the Fab Four have been performing, the Reds rearguard has remained an area of concern for Jurgen Klopp. With Mohamed Salah, Philippe Coutinho and Roberto Firmino still in the best form, the Liverpool team could secure still secure a Champions League spot this season.
The Liverpool manager must to try to do something special for his team as the Fab Four is looking to splinter. Coutinho might join Barcelona as it is said that the appeal of Barcelona for Philippe Coutinho is the same as the Liverpool appeal was for Van Dijk. Therefore, with the Dutchman arriving in the team along with his outstanding Fab Four, Klopp would not want to miss this chance to make an impression on Europe.
However, the need for another top-notch goalkeeper should also be on cards to replace Simon Mignolet who has not performed well for the team this season. With a world-class goalkeeper between the sticks, only then could the Merseyside challenge rivals for the second place behind league leaders Manchester City.
Now ranking ninth-most expensive Association Football transfer, he was a very good prospect for former clubs, Celtic and Southampton, therefore, he’s tipped to deliver for his new team. However, his £75 million switch to Anfield would attract prying eyes as with such a whooping record-fee, he’s got to deliver more than he has for his former sides. And if Liverpool’s defense continues leaking goals as it has been this season so far, then pressure would would definitely increase on him.
Van Djik joined the Saints in 2015 from Celtic for a reported £13 million. Since then, the 26-year-old has played 66 Premier League games for the Hampshire club. Saints win with the Dutchman was almost 40 percent while in 26 matches he did not made a start. The win rate for the Saints was a mere 26.90 percent. With him in action, the goals conceded by his team fell from 1.4 to 1.2 goals per game on average. This shows how important his influence was for the Southampton team. No wonder that they settled only for such a big amount to part ways their most prized possession.