Former Liverpool star John Aldridge has backed Virgil van Dijk to join the club in the summer. However, he did admit that the deal might be tough to finalise between the two sides.
Van Dijk has been linked with a move to us for a while now but things took a turn for the worse when Southampton threatened to report us to the FA over possibly tapping the 26-year-old defender. While we narrowly avoided any sanctions, we did state that our interest in the Dutch defender is all but over.
The deal has been rekindled once again as Van Dijk wants a move to Anfield and is not training with the first-team at the moment.
In his column for the Herald Sport (via Independent), the former Republic of Ireland international claimed that Van Dijk was more important to the team than our other target, Naby Keita.
“Van Dijk would probably be more important to the team overall, though Keita could be a big player in the years to come.”
The former Liverpool man added that he would be happy with either signing but added that dealing with clubs isn’t easy nowadays and it takes a lot of patience.
“I’d be even happier with Van Dijk and/or Keita but it’s not easy to get these players in now, it’s hard to prise them away and this takes patience, especially with Van Dijk and what happened a month or two ago.
“Other clubs, especially Manchester City, are spending a lot of money but that shouldn’t panic the likes of Liverpool or Spurs into spending money on players they don’t especially want.
We have been in the market for players that will add to the quality of the side and that decision for the transfer market this season was also backed by Aldridge.
“Jurgen Klopp knows what he wants and he wants quality, there’s no point in signing peripheral players just for appearances, you need to sign players who have that x-factor, and Van Dijk has that, he’s one of the best centre halves in the Premier League, Keita is possibly one of the best in Europe in his position.”
While Van Dijk hasn’t joined us yet, Aldridge added that if Van Dijk wanted a move, he can force it and even contracts aren’t important anymore.
“Players are very powerful now. If they want to move they will move, if the likes of Van Dijk want to force their way out, they can. Players are so strong now and contracts are not worth the paper they are written on.
“Southampton know Van Dijk is unhappy, Liverpool want him. So it seems Van Dijk will move.”
There isn’t a lot being said about Van Dijk’s transfer from either club but given the situation at the moment, we won’t be surprised if he does move. But the deal could take until the final day of the window to take place.
Patience has to be the key for the negotiating team and us, it seems.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ng5Nb4Cdk0
