The Liverpool defender, who Manchester City reportedly wanted to buy while at Southampton, could prove a key player when the two clubs face off on Thursday.
Ahead of their huge Premier League clash with Liverpool, Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has hailed Virgil van Dijk by saying he is “well worth” his transfer fee.
The Reds splashed out on the Netherlands centre-back last year, paying a record £75million to prise him from Southampton.
Although the fee – which made Van Dijk the most expensive defender in the world – raised some eyebrows at first, the player has become an indispensable player for Jurgen Klopp.
On the 27-year-old’s watch, Liverpool reached the final of the Champions League last season and are still unbeaten in the Premier League this term.
With the Merseysiders facing one of their nearest rivals and last season’s runaway champions on Thursday night, there’s a lot at stake for both sides.
Speaking ahead of the game at his pre-match press conference, Guardiola told reporters of Van Dijk, as quoted by the Daily Mail: “He’s an exceptional player.
“When a player costs whatever it costs and it works, it is well worth it. When you pay less and it doesn’t work, it is so expensive. If he can play every three days with no injuries and play consistently, it is well worth it.”
In the documentary ‘All or Nothing’, Man City chairman Khaldoon Al-Mubarak wanted to know Southampton’s asking price while speaking to director of football Txiki Begiristain and chief executive Ferran Soriano, according to the Daily Mail.
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