Klopp delivers message to Liverpool fans after £75m Van Dijk signing

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Jurgen Klopp has hinted that Virgil van Dijk won’t be thrown straight into the starting lineup when he arrives on January 1.

The Dutchman’s £75million price-tag means he will join Liverpool as the most expensive defender in history, although there are no assurances of him immediately earning a spot in Jurgen Klopp’s first eleven.

Beginning life on the bench will, however, come down to his stuttering recovery from a lengthy injury layoff prior to the new season rather than his ability.

Klopp has urged Reds to ignore his club-record fee and instead focus on the undeniable talent that warranted him a move to Anfield.

“Quality. That’s why we got him, that’s why we were interested in him. It’s quite difficult at the moment because technically he’s still a Southampton player,” the Liverpool manager told Sky Sports.

“We don’t make the prices, the market does. Liverpool supporters should forget about the price. We only talk about the player and what he can bring in; the quality, the mentality, the character. That is why we are really happy about it.”

Virgil van Dijk – Image by Liverpoolfc.com

“Virgil hasn’t had the best first half to the season at Southampton. He was out injured for a long time and we all know about the things that happened last summer.”

“He’s a tall player – they always need a little bit longer especially after being out for around nine months – but that’s no problem. We already have quality here in that position so we don’t have to rush anything.”

In the modern market, eye-watering transfer fees mean little when considering the money generated for clubs through television rights and sponsorship deals.

Klopp has rightly taken advantage of being granted the club’s largest ever transfer kitty and, in the process, yet again flexed his luring powers.

Van Dijk at his best boasts a reputation as one of top defenders in European football, and has previously been regarded by many as quite possibly the most accomplished centre-back in the Premier League.

Liverpool’s pressing need to paper over familiar defensive frailties was always going to mean spending big money.

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