Former Liverpool player Danny Murphy has claimed Virgil van Dijk joined the Reds after Jurgen Klopp promised he would be a legend at Anfield if he managed to win silverware with the club.
Van Dijk has been arguably the best defender in the Premier League this season and with Liverpool sitting at the top of the table, it is hard to debate this claim. The 27-year-old Dutch centre-back moved from Southampton to Liverpool in January 2018 and has not looked back since. Van Dijk has played every minute for the Reds in the Premier League this season and has not been beaten one-on-one all campaign.
Big 3 points yesterday, 6 games left! #YNWA pic.twitter.com/vFGTAONbhZ
— Virgil van Dijk (@VirgilvDijk) April 1, 2019
During the Van Dijk sweepstakes last January, several Premier League clubs were interested in securing the signature of the big Dutchman. Now the Reds' former midfielder Murphy revealed in his column for the Daily Mail how Liverpool managed to get hold of the star defender, saying: “When Virgil van Dijk signed for Liverpool, he was also wanted by Chelsea, Man City and Arsenal.
"Liverpool is a wonderful club but Chelsea had won the league more recently and City win things nearly every season.
Van Dijk's relationship with Klopp has been widely recognised by fans and media throughout the campaign and Murphy's revelation doesn't come as a surprise to many people. Murphy continued: "He told him that while he would probably win things with City or Chelsea, if he managed to do so with Liverpool he would become a legend. He would be remembered forever.
"Klopp convinced Van Dijk not only that he was the manager he wanted to play under but also that Liverpool was the right club."
If Murphy's statement is true, Klopp deserves praise from the Liverpool fanbase for his recruitment tactics during the window and securing the Reds' best defender in a long while.
Liverpool are set to take on Southampton in the Premier League on Friday before they host Porto in the first leg of their quarter-final Champions League clash on 9 April.
Source : 90min