Sports
10:49, 28-Dec-2017
Liverpool to sign Virgil van Dijk by 75 million pounds
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Netherlandish center-back Virgil van Dijk is poised to become the world's most expensive defender after Liverpool agreed to pay 75 million pounds (100.45 million US dollars) to Southampton for the 26-year-old.
The deal will be formally ratified on 1st January when the transfer window officially opens – and the fee eclipses the 52 million pounds (69.67 million US dollars) which Manchester City paid Monaco for Benjamin Mendy in July.
The 26-year-old Netherlander has been at Southampton since the 2015 season, and the Saints got him for a song, too, acquiring him from Celtic for a measly 13 million pounds. Now, it looks like he’s taking that next step.
VCG Photo
VCG Photo
The van Dijk transfer had been expected to happen last summer after he handed in a transfer request at Southampton. But the move fell through after Liverpool was reported for making an illegal approach for van Dijk.
The defender joined Southampton from Scottish champions Celtic in 2015.
Van Dijk becomes the sixth player to move from St Mary's Stadium to Anfield in recent years – joining Dejan Lovren, Nathaniel Clyne, Rickie Lambert, Sadio Mane and Adam Lallana.