Jurgen Klopp: Why Liverpool FC signed Virgil van Dijk
The Liverpool FC manager hails Virgil van Dijk as a "quality" signing
Jurgen Klopp has hailed Virgil van Dijk as a “quality” addition to the Liverpool FC squad.
The Netherlands international agreed to a world record move on Wednesday evening and Van Dijk will complete his move on 1 January.
The 26-year-old centre-half is reported to be costing Liverpool FC a club-record £75m transfer fee to eclipse the £48m fee that the Reds agreed with RB Leipzig to sign Naby Keita.
Van Dijk will be tasked with improving Liverpool FC’s suspect defence after the Merseyside outfit conceded 23 times in 20 games in the Premier League.
The Dutch centre-half established himself as one of the league’s best centre-halves during a two-year spell at Southampton under Ronald Koeman, Claude Puel and Mauricio Pellegrino.
Liverpool FC were linked with a move to sign Van Dijk in the summer but the Reds were unable to get a deal over the line.
Klopp shed light on his decision to recruit the Southampton star to smash the world record transfer fee for a defender.
“Quality,” Klopp told Sky Sports News. “That’s why we got him, that’s why we were interested in him.It’s quite difficult because technically he’s still a player of Southampton.”
Liverpool FC finished in fourth place in the Premier League table last term to secure a spot at Champions League.
The Reds are in the same position right now ahead of their next home against Leicester City at Anfield.
