Manchester City and Chelsea to miss out as Virgil van Dijk decides to join Liverpool – City Watch

Liverpool have won the race to sign Southampton centre-back Virgil van Dijk – as long as they can agree a world record fee for a defender with Southampton.

According to a host of respected journalists, including Paul Joyce of The Times, Van Dijk has told Liverpool that he wishes to join them and link up with Jurgen Klopp.

Liverpool will have to pay up to £60 million for Van Dijk, the highest fee in history for a defender, and are prepared to match City’s offer of a contract worth around £200,000-a-week, which would make him their highest paid player.

It will mark a huge coup for Liverpool given interest from Chelsea and City, two teams who tend to dominate the English transfer market, and City are unlikely to match Liverpool’s offer according to The Guardian.

City may now turn their attention to another centre-back, with the likes of Leonardo Bonucci, Aymeric Laporte and Lucas Hernández all said to be on the radar.