DEAL DONE: Liverpool sign Virgil van Dijk for world record defender fee of £75M

Liverpool have announced the signing of Dutch defender Virgil van Dijk.

The fee, which is believed to be in the region of £75M, makes the player the world's most expensive defender.

He will wear the number 4 shirt at Liverpool, the club have announced, and will officially join on Monday 1st January 2018.

The player was a top target for Jurgen Klopp but after the threat of being reported for an illegal summer approach Liverpool decided not to make a transfer bid until the January window.

Southampton were reticent to sell to Liverpool and van Dijk was rumoured to have also become a top target for Pep Guardiola's Man City.

However, the defender will now become a Liverpool player in just a couple of days time.

Southampton, on their website, said:

The club wishes Virgil well in his future when the deal is completed on January 1st 2018.

Needless to say, the signing is also Liverpool's record signing.

In the LFC Store