Liverpool and Virgil van Dijk seem to be a match made in heaven, footballing heaven at least. Even though the Southampton defender hasn’t stated that he wants to leave his current club, the Dutchman has been relentlessly linked with the Merseyside club.

The Reds have been rumoured to be in talks with the former Celtic defender according to Football Whispers and it does seem that it is only a matter of time before the deal goes through. The same source has confirmed that talks between the two clubs have already started with their representatives. It was Football Whispers, who previously reported that the Reds are in talks with Dortmund defender Matthias Ginter as well.

Van Dijk certainly would be a great addition to a side that has struggled to defend well and the 25-year-old is accustomed to the Premier League by now. The centre-back has been one of the best players for the Saints since moving to the club from Scotland and there are a number of other clubs that are interested in his services.

The 25-year-old would certainly be a first-team player should he switch to the Reds in the summer but his price tag could be a stumbling block as Jurgen Klopp looks to fix his issues with the Liverpool defence.

While Van Dijk should partner Joel Matip in the first team, the Reds could be looking to add a couple of other notable centre-backs in the summer as well due to a number of players leaving the side.

The Kop Times Verdict

Klopp will be looking to get rid of the deadweight in the summer and players such as Mamadou Sakho, Alberto Moreno and Lucas Leiva will all possibly see the exit sign at Liverpool. Van Dijk would be one step in the right direction for the Reds as they do need leadership at the back but also someone who is actually a world-class defender.

The two clubs involved in the deal also have a great history when it comes to buying and selling players. Liverpool have purchased Adam Lallana, Sadio Mane, Nathaniel Clyne and Rickie Lambert from the Saints in recent years and Van Dijk could and should be the next player to join the list.

Klopp knows he has a lot of rebuilding to do and signing Van Dijk would be great for the club. Liverpool might have to shell out close to £40 million, which would break their transfer record to sign the 25-year-old but that would be good money spent, such as the Sadio Mane deal.

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