According to the Independent, Liverpool have a chance of securing the services of Southampton defender Virgil van Dijk this summer – if they sell Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona.
Despite Saints chief Ralph Krueger earlier claiming the Dutch defender isn’t for sale, insiders at the club believe there is a chance a he is still sold for the Reds as Southampton are only waiting to take advantage should Liverpool sell Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona.
With more than £100million quoted for the Brazilian to complete a move to Camp Nou, the Saint Mary’s outfit believe they can get a world record fee for a defender for their wantaway skipper. Perhaps, some fee in the region of £80million.
Considering Liverpool’s frailties at the back, there shouldn’t be any hesitation in going all out and breaking the bank for their man once he’s available, for whatsoever reasonable price.
Defending set-pieces are Van Dijk’s expertise as aerial duels, concentration and ball interception are the strongest features of the 26-year-old’s game.
This particular weakness of Liverpool can be strengthened by adding Van Dijk to the team, and it could be manager Jurgen Klopp’s last missing piece of the jigsaw.
