Liverpool Transfer News
Southampton are making it tougher for us to sign their star player Virgil van Dijk as the Liverpool Echo claims that the Saints want £75 million for the Dutch defender.
This comes right after news that the Saints were reporting us to the Premier League regarding an illegal approach by us to sign Van Dijk.Southampton had stated that they had no wish of selling their captain ahead of next season but Van Dijk had hinted that he prefers a move to Anfield.
While we were prepared to pay around £50-£60 million for the former Celtic man, this move might price us out of the race for signing Van Dijk. Jurgen Klopp had made the imposing central defender his priority signing for next season. Van Dijk would certainly help us to plug the holes in the defence and reduce our rather incredible goals conceded tally. He is also comfortable on the ball and can play out of trouble at the back, something that is a requirement for Klopp defenders.
However, this latest turn will have put the spanners in us trying to sign him. This also plays into the hands of Chelsea and Manchester City who want to sign the defender and can price Liverpool out of the running.
Southampton are playing their cards right as they know that any club that wants Van Dijk will now have to play on their terms. While £75 million is a little too much, even if the player has five years left on his current contract, he will move at the end of the transfer window. This is a real test of Klopp and FSG’s negotiation skills. We know the player wants to move to Liverpool and he will make the side better. The big question is, how much would we have to pay to bring the Dutch defender to Anfield?
Anything close to £50 million would be alright but Southampton’s asking price at the moment is ludicrous, to say the least.
