- Liverpool have smashed the world-record fee for a defender by agreeing a £75m deal to sign Virgil van Dijk from Southampton today.
- Despite the fee, Jamie Carragher believes Van Dijk won’t be an instant starter for Liverpool.
- The Dutchman will still have to prove his worth despite signing a record-breaking deal.
- READ ALSO: Champions League giants move to agree a deal for Liverpool star to leave Anfield on a free
According to Jamie Carragher, Virgil van Dijk won’t be an instant starter for Liverpool despite singing for £75m.
Carragher has suggested that the Dutchman will have to prove his worth at Anfield before he can expect to start.
While working on Sky Sports coverage of Man City’s clash with Newcastle tonight the former Liverpool legend stated that Van Dijk will have to work for a place in the Liverpool team.
“I think looking at Van Dijk these last few months, I think he’s got to get fitter. Maybe he could lose a few pounds as he’s not been playing much.”
Carragher added, “I’m not sure he’ll go straight in. As we’ve seen, Klopp likes to rotate, and want to get him on the training ground and see him right.” (Comments as per the Mirror.)
Van Dijk has certainly struggled at Southampton this season and was even frozen out of the squad at the start of the season following a summer of speculation linking him with a move away.
However, the Telegraph have reported that his recent deal to join Liverpool for £75m will make him the most expensive defender in the world inevitably leading many people to expect the Dutchman to slot straight into the Liverpool side.
Van Dijk overtakes Kyle Walker to become the most expensive defender in world football after the Englishman had previously broken the record in the summer when he signed from Tottenham to Manchester City for £54m (as per the Daily Mail.)
It remains to be seen whether Carragher’s predictions will come to fruition but we like many others wouldn’t expect to see Jurgen Klopp leave his £75m star on the bench for too long.