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Klopp cool with record Van Dijk fee
Print Edition
Juergen Klopp insists it doesn鈥檛 matter that he paid a world-record fee for a defender to sign Virgil van Dijk because the Dutch star is good enough to prove value for money.
Klopp splashed out a reported 75 million pounds (US$100 million) to bring Van Dijk to Anfield from Southampton on Wednesday.
Opinion is divided over whether the Liverpool manager was right to pay such a huge sum for a player that English Premier League leader Manchester City wanted before it balked at the asking price.
Former Manchester United defender Gary Neville claimed Netherlands international Van Dijk isn鈥檛 worth it, while ex-Liverpool center-back Jamie Carragher disagrees.
But Klopp doesn鈥檛 care about the size of the transfer because he is confident Van Dijk will plug the holes in Liverpool鈥檚 leaky defense.
Asked what the 26-year-old will add to Liverpool, Klopp told Sky Sports: 鈥淨uality. That鈥檚 why we got him, that鈥檚 why we were interested in him. It鈥檚 quite difficult at the moment because technically he鈥檚 still a Southampton player.
鈥淲e don鈥檛 make the prices, the market does. Liverpool supporters should forget about the price.
鈥淲e 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.鈥
Van Dijk has struggled to reach peak form this season after missing several games due to injury and the fallout from a rejected transfer request in August.
But Liverpool had tried to land Van Dijk before the transfer deadline and Klopp is relieved to have finally got the center-back, who will officially arrive on January 1 and could make his debut in the FA Cup third round tie against Merseyside rival Everton.
Calling for fans to allow time for Van Dijk to adapt to Liverpool, Klopp said: 鈥淰irgil hasn鈥檛 had the best first half to the season at Southampton.
鈥淗e was out injured for a long time and we all know about the things that happened last summer.
鈥淗e鈥檚 a tall player, they always need a little bit longer especially after being out for around nine months.
鈥淏ut that鈥檚 no problem. We already have quality here in that position so we don鈥檛 have to rush anything.
鈥淗e needs to adapt to our style of play. It鈥檚 a completely different game, but we are 100 per cent sure he will do it.鈥
Liverpool plays two EPL fixtures in the space of 48 hours when it hosts Leicester City tomorrow and then travels to Burnley on New Year鈥檚 Day.
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