Liverpool have completed the signing of Southampton center back, Virgil van Dijk for a world record fee believed to be around £75 million.
Van Dijk linked up with his new teammates at Melwood for his first training session after completing his transfer on 1 January.
The fee paid for the Dutch international is the most ever paid for a defender, eclipsing Manchester City’s £52m for Monaco’s Benjamin Mendy in July 2017.
Van Dijk made his international debut for the Netherlands in 2015.
A statement on the Liverpool website says the Holland international will wear the number 4 jersey for the Kops.
“Liverpool Football Club can confirm they have reached an agreement with Southampton for the transfer of Virgil van Dijk.
“The Reds have agreed a deal with the south coast club, and the player himself, that will see the 26-year-old defender move to Anfield when the transfer window re-opens on January 1, 2018.
Virgil van Dijk is a Red. 🔴https://t.co/iGWEpGu1YH pic.twitter.com/qMLLjZjEUS
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) January 1, 2018
“The Netherlands international will be assigned squad number four, upon his arrival at Liverpool.
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Virgil van Dijk began his career with Groningen before moving to Celtic in 2013.
At Celtic, he won the Scottish Premiership and was named in the PFA Scotland Team of the Year in both of his seasons, also winning the Scottish League Cup in the latter.
In September 2015, he joined Southampton.
