Liverpool have been interested in Virgil Van Dijk since time immemorial (not really, only since the summer but it feels that way) but if reports are to be believed, we might miss out on signing him in January. Manchester City have leapfrogged Liverpool in the race to sign the expensive Dutchman, according to Betstars (h/t Daily Star)

That will certainly not come as good news for us, considering how desperately we need a central defender. For a good majority of the season so far, Jurgen Klopp has depended on the attack to win the games and while there is nothing wrong with that, the lack of quality at the back has been shockingly apparent.

Over the summer, we could have landed Van Dijk but reports then emerged, which suggested that the management used illegal ways to approach the Dutchman. That obviously did not bode well for Southampton and even though an apology was issued, it is understood that the Saints are not too keen on doing business with us – at least as far as Van Dijk is concerned. The timing of all this is rather tragic since he could have truly been a valuable addition to us.

Considering the lack of quality options in central defence, it is imperative for Klopp to procure someone with experience.

With the rest of the season ahead of us, it will be crucial to secure a Champions League spot since all hopes of a title challenge appear to have gone down the drain. There has been a lot of talk regarding how Liverpool could have been at a much better place if we had stronger centre-backs.

The rest of the team are doing their job quite well and the attack has been phenomenal. It is now a case of so close yet so far. Perhaps next season, we might have a better chance but the priority now has to be to cement a Champions League spot.

For that to happen, a player like Van Dijk would have been a massive boost. That said, we can only hope that Klopp manages to sign the player in January. Considering City’s financial prowess, it might not be a surprise if they end up signing him but let’s try and hope Klopp gifts us a late Christmas present!