Liverpool end formal interest in Virgil van Dijk
Liverpool ended their interest in Virgil van Dijk Wednesday after Southampton accused the Anfield club of illegally approaching their player.
Liverpool released a statement Wednesday apologizing for their approach to center-back Virgil van Dijk, and ending all interest in the player.
The statement, released on the club website, read:
"Liverpool Football Club would like to put on record our regret over recent media speculation regarding Southampton Football Club and player transfers between the two clubs.We apologise to the owner, board of directors and fans of Southampton for any misunderstanding regarding Virgil van Dijk.We respect Southampton’s position and confirm we have ended any interest in the player."
The Reds were seen as favorites to sign van Dijk ahead of Manchester City and Chelsea after it was reported earlier in the week the Dutchman preferred a move to Anfield. Jurgen Klopp’s involvement in recruitment was cited as a major reason why.
But on Tuesday it emerged Southampton intended to report Liverpool to the Premier League for illegally approaching the player, a big stumbling block in potential negotiations. The transfer is now, it seems, entirely off the table.
This comes as a major blow to Liverpool, who are expected to spend as much £200 million this summer as they seek to reestablish themselves as Premier League and Champions League contenders.
In particular, they were in need of strengthening in defense. The Reds conceded 42 goals in the league last season, the most of any top four team, and nine more than champions Chelsea.
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Joel Matip impressed after arriving on a free transfer from Schalke last summer, but his calm presence wasn’t enough to eliminate the carelessness that has plagued Liverpool’s backline since Rafael Benitez left the club.
Van Dijk was seen as the perfect partner for Matip, but Klopp must now look elsewhere if he hopes to fix his side’s defensive shortcomings. He’ll be hard pressed to find anyone better than the Southampton center-back.