Virgil van Dijk cost Liverpool £75million a couple of years ago, and that record price tag for a defender has now been broken by Manchester United who have signed Harry Maguire.
The former Leicester and Hull City man has cost the Mancs an initial £80million, which may rise by another £5million after add-ons, as they look to sure up their defence.
It’ll take a bit of pressure off van Dijk, but the big Dutchman has told Maguire to embrace the pressure as he did.
“I wish him well,” he told the Mirror. “Good luck to him. I can’t say anything about the (record) fee because there was always going to be a time when it was going to change.
“That’s the market. He doesn’t have any influence on that – the price comes with pressure but it doesn’t change too much because you always have pressure at big clubs like Man United.
“Every club is doing their business in the market and every club has their own strategy. He doesn’t have any influence on that at all.”
When Virgil first signed for Liverpool, it was like everyone was looking for every little mistake he’d make – but the pressure didn’t seem like it got to him.
With the £80million price tag, people are going to look at Maguire the same way; if he gets skinned by Mo Salah, as he did a couple of years ago as a Leicester player, it’ll go viral.
Nothing to see here. Just Mo Salah rolling that £80 million human bollard Harry Maguire. pic.twitter.com/ib364KJO8K
— TheWool_LFC (@TheWool_LFC) August 2, 2019
Big Virg came out the other side, though, and has issued some advice to United’s new boy. “Just focus on doing what you love to do and play your best game,” he said.
“Get your qualities out of the pitch, enjoy your game and don’t think about the other things. It is not easy to completely shut off all the pressure. Personally, I like to put things in perspective.
“Quite a lot of things are more important than playing football and what we do, we are blessed. We can do what we love to do and also to play for Liverpool – they are such a big club.
“You need to enjoy it but the pressure will always be there.”