Steven Gerrard wants Liverpool to sign Southampton defender Virgil Van Dijk and says he wanted them to get him when he was at Celtic
Picture Supplied by Action Images – Steven Gerrard
Steven Gerrard has told The Mail that he wanted Liverpool to sign Virgil Van Dijk when he was playing for Celtic.
Van Dijk is currently subject of interest from the Reds, with The Mirror reporting they are ready to pay £60 million and make him the most expensive defender ever.
Southampton are resistant to Liverpool’s advances for the centre-back, who they signed from Celtic in 2015.
Southampton’s Virgil van Dijk celebrates
He signed for the Saints just months after Gerrard had retired from Liverpool, and after playing a key role in Celtic’s league title successes.
Gerrard said: “I’d love to see him in a red shirt. I’m a huge fan.
“I thought he was fantastic at Celtic and I thought we should have had a go for him back then.
“It will cost us a few more quid but I think he is a piece of the jigsaw that would be very welcome and very big for this team.”
Southampton’s Virgil van Dijk
Many top clubs were linked with Van Dijk at the time but backed off due to concerns over the strength of Scottish football. The manager in charge of Liverpool at the time was Celtic’s current boss Brendan Rodgers.
Southampton took the gamble and it paid off, with the centre-back proving to be a superb signing.
Liverpool have plenty of cash to spend after securing a top four spot and signing Van Dijk would go a long way towards addressing their defensive frailties.
The £60 million fee will be a topic everybody has an opinion on, but where most observers are united is that Van Dijk would be a fantastic asset for the Reds.
Unfortuantely Southampton are not as buoyant, and plan to report Liverpool to the Premier League for making an illegal approach for the player, The BBC report.
Liverpool could have saved themselves the hassle as well as the money if they just signed Van Dijk two years ago.
Liverpool’s Georginio Wijnaldum in action with Southampton’s Virgil van Dijk
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