OptiNews - Friday 22 to Thursday 28 December 2017

[Optimus-trousers]

Sourced from Mirror.co.uk article

How Liverpool went extra mile to ensure they beat Man City to Virgil van Dijk

Show/hide article…

Liverpool left nothing to chance in the signing of Virgil van Dijk.

The Reds were so worried that the deal would be scuppered by Manchester City they went to extra mile for the Dutchman.

The Liverpool Echo reports that the Reds flew a medical team to Bournemouth Airport on Wednesday morning so they were ready to complete the formalities as soon as a fee had been thrashed out with Southampton.

Liverpool were desperate to ensure there was no delay and that Man City didn’t have the opportunity to wrestle Van Dijk from their grasp.

Having met Saints’ asking price, the Reds were able to conduct Van Dijk’s medical today and with personal terms of around £180,000 per week already agreed, they were in a position to announce the club record deal five days before the January window opens.

Van Dijk had his heart set on a move to Anfield but Liverpool knew that a counter bid of £75million from Man City - coupled with a bumper wage offer - would have complicated matters and prolonged their pursuit of the Dutch defender.

As it was Liverpool moved quickly and decisively to complete a deal which will delight Jurgen Klopp.

Lessons were learned from last summer when the Reds made a hash of signing Van Dijk and ended up issuing an apology and publicly withdrawing their interest after Southampton accused them of making an illegal approach.

The 6ft 4ins centre-back put in a transfer request but his club dug their heels in and refused to sell.

In recent months Fenway Sports Group president Mike Gordon has helped to repair relations with Saints, whose hierarchy changed their stance after deciding they would be better off cashing in on Van Dijk than keeping an unhappy player.

Liverpool have ended up paying around £15million more than they were looking to shell out last summer but the owners have backed the manager’s judgement.

Klopp is convinced that Van Dijk, who will wear the No 4 shirt, is the dominant leader the Reds’ backline has been lacking during his Anfield reign.

Go to the original article…

...unorthodoxly given birth to by Optimus trousers...beta v1.9 - now with EXTRA pictures!

[Optimus-trousers]

Sourced from Daily Star article

Virgil van Dijk to Liverpool: How will £75m man’s wages compare to new Reds team-mates?

Show/hide article…

HOW much money does each Liverpool player earn every week?

The Reds are one of the biggest clubs in England, and the signing of Virgil van Dijk for a whopping £75m transfer fee adds yet another superstar player to their ranks.

But how much will Van Dijk - now the most expensive defender in history following the confirmation of his move from Southampton - earn compared to the rest of his team-mates?

The Dutchman is set to pick up a massive weekly wage, but it will not be the biggest pay packet on offer at Anfield.

In total eight current Liverpool players earn £100,000-a-week or more.

CLICK THROUGH THE GALLERY ABOVE TO SEE HOW MUCH EACH LIVERPOOL PLAYER EARNS - AS UNDERSTOOD BY STARSPORT.

Go to the original article…

...festively fabricated by Optimus trousers...beta v1.9 - now with EXTRA pictures!

[Optimus-trousers]

Sourced from Daily Echo article

Saints sell van Dijk for world record fee

Show/hide article…

Saints are to sell Virgil van Dijk to Liverpool for a world record fee for a defender of £75m.

The confirmation of the impending deal, which will formally go through when the transfer window opens on January 1, brings to an end a long running saga.

Liverpool have been chasing van Dijk for a number of months, but a potential deal hit the buffers in the summer when the clubs fell out over accusations the Reds had been tapped up the Dutch centre half.

Van Dijk made clear his desire to leave Saints, and spent time out of the team until the transfer window closed.

He returned to the team having not played since picking up an injury in January, but has not rediscovered his best form for Saints, who have decided to cash in.

The Daily Echo understands Saints will get about £70m up front with a further £5m to come in add-ons. It represents a world record transfer fee for a defender, and quite a profit on a player the club signed from Celtic for £13m just two-and-a-half years ago.

In a statement, the club said: "Southampton Football Club can confirm it has reached an agreement with Liverpool over the transfer of Virgil van Dijk.

"Southampton have agreed a fee that will set a new world-record for a defender.

“The club wishes Virgil well in his future when the deal is completed on January 1st 2018.”

Van Dijk has also issued a statement himself, which says: "Delighted and honoured to have agreed to become a Liverpool FC player!

"Today is a proud day for me and my family as I join one of the biggest clubs in world football!

"I can’t wait to pull on the famous red shirt for the first time in front of the Kop and will give everything I have to try and help this great club achieve something special in years to come.

"I would also like to take this opportunity to say thank you to Les Reed, the board, the manager, players, fans and everyone at Southampton.

"I will always be indebted to the club for giving me the opportunity to play in the Premier League and despite a difficult last few months I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at Saints and have made friends for life at the club. Thank you for everything.

“Thank you for the messages of support. I’m now looking forward to meeting my new teammates and getting started #YNWA”

Go to the original article…

...imperiously designed by Optimus trousers...beta v1.9 - now with EXTRA pictures!

[Optimus-trousers]

Sourced from Daily Echo article

Yoshida: Sacking the manager is not always the best choice

Show/hide article…

Maya Yoshida admits Southampton have got worse under Mauricio Pellegrino this season but has advised against another managerial change at the club.

After their Boxing Day thrashing at the hands of Tottenham, Yoshida said the players remain behind Pellegrino while also appearing to question the decision to sack Claude Puel in the summer.

Saints finished eighth under the Frenchman last term, 12 points clear of the relegation zone, but they now sit 14th in the table and just two points above the bottom three.

They are also winless in seven Premier League matches and never looked like ending that run at Wembley, where Spurs ran out 5-2 winners thanks to a Harry Kane hat-trick.

Asked if Southampton’s players still have faith in Pellegrino, Yoshida told Press Association Sport: "Yes, we can’t pass on responsibility to anyone else - to the manager, team-mates, the club. That’s easy.

"Everyone has to take responsibility. Claude Puel was fired last season because the club wasn’t satisfied. But the situation is even worse now.

“So just sacking the manager is clearly not always the best choice. But it is not my decision, it is a club decision.”

Pellegrino criticised the commitment of some of his players earlier this month and there was little evidence of any rally for the Argentinian against Tottenham.

Oriol Romeu was symptomatic of Southampton’s lethargy, allowing Kane a free header to open the scoring before making only a token effort to stop Dele Alli’s third from the edge of the box.

Son Heung-min was also on target for Spurs, while Sofiane Boufal and Dusan Tadic managed to reduce the deficit during a frantic second half.

“Does the attitude need to improve? I would say yes,” Yoshida said. “I think it is a really difficult situation for Southampton, we cannot play like this. The game became too open. We need to get organised.”

Go to the original article…

...agitatedly assembled by Optimus trousers...beta v1.9 - now with EXTRA pictures!

[Optimus-trousers]

Sourced from A tweet by RealKevinPalmer tweet

@RealKevinPalmer - Kevin Palmer

Celtic won £2.98m in prize money for winning the Scottish Premiership last season…

They will pick up £7.5m from… https://twitter.com/i/web/status/946165389892997120

Retweets: 67

Favourites: 76

...exactly put together by Optimus trousers...beta v1.9 - now with EXTRA pictures!

[Optimus-trousers]

Sourced from Optimus trousers summary article summary

Summary of non-mainstream articles: 28/12/2017 01:12:21

| | Jamie Carragher has revealed his one major concern with new signing Virgil Van DijkGIVEMESPORT |
| | ‘He is not worth it at all’ - Shearer slams £75m Liverpool new boy Van Dijk | Goal.comGOALDOTCOM |
| | Should Southampton muscle in on West Ham’s Alfie Mawson pursuit, as Hammers prepare to meet Swansea’s demands?HEREISTHECITY |
| | ‘He is not worth it at all’ - Shearer slams £75m Liverpool new boy Van Dijk | Goal.comGOALDOTCOM |
| | ‘Desperate’ - Shearer slams confirmed Van Dijk switch to LiverpoolTHISISFUTBOLCOM |

...unenlightenedly conceived by Optimus trousers...beta v1.9 - now with EXTRA pictures!

[Optimus-trousers]

Sourced from Mirror.co.uk article

The amount Liverpool would’ve saved if they’d signed players before Southampton

Show/hide article…

Sometimes you just like shopping in certain places, so much so that you’ll keep going back there.

And Liverpool like shopping at Southampton. They like it a LOT.

On January 1, Virgil van Dijk will become the eighth player they’ve signed from the Saints in the Premier League era, with six of those coming in the last three-and-a-half years.

On Wednesday it was announced that Van Dijk will join the Reds when the transfer window opens for a staggering £75m - a world record fee for a defender.

Some of the players who made the journey from Southampton to Liverpool proved to be more successful than others, but almost all of them came in for a lot more money than the Saints paid for them.

Because while the Reds like signing players from the Saints, they also like doing so at a considerable mark-up in price.

In fact, if you remove the former Wales goalkeeper Paul Jones - who moved to Anfield from the Saints on an emergency loan deal in 2003 - then Liverpool have always been forced to pay considerably more for the same signing than Southampton did. Seven times.

All of which begs the question: Wouldn’t they have been better off making these signings before they’d made the move south?

Well, yes. Obviously.

Here’s how the difference stacks up.

The giant forward set a trend when he left relegated Southampton for Rafael Benitez’s European champions in 2005, and he proved a popular figure at Anfield despite only staying for three years.

The term “fairytale move” was all the rage in the summer of 2014, when Rickie Lambert managed to find his way back to his boyhood club Liverpool some 17 years after he’d been released as a teenager.

We’ll just gloss over what happened when he was there.

There can be little doubt now that Adam Lallana has been a terrific signing for Liverpool, and his return from injury has been welcomed by the club’s fans as though he’s a new signing.

All of which makes that compensation fee seem worth it for the Saints.

There have been more than a few times when the decision to pay £20m for Lovren looked more than a little crazy, but clearly the Croatian is a player than Jurgen Klopp likes, and he continues to be a key part of Liverpool’s Champions League-chasing defence.

Three seasons of Premier League consistency at Southampton were enough to make Clyne appeal to Brendan Rodgers, and he would prove to be one of the Northern Irishman’s final Liverpool signings when he snapped him up in the summer of 2015.

As with Lallana, you won’t find many people claiming that Liverpool overspent on Sadio Mane after his excellent first season at the club, but if they’d have spotted his talent sooner then they could have ended up saving two-thirds of what they paid for him.

Liverpool could have saved themselves a huge £140.7m if only they’d snapped up their transfer targets before Southampton got there, with the Saints paying a rather measly £36.8m for the same six players.

Players mature at different rates, of course, and it might be that Liverpool didn’t even want them when Southampton were signing them, but maybe it’d just be cheaper for the Reds to sign the Saints’ scouts instead?

Go to the original article…

...saltily thought-up by Optimus trousers...beta v1.9 - now with EXTRA pictures!

[Optimus-trousers]

Sourced from Mirror.co.uk article

Virgil van Dijk’s ex-teammate hints another Southampton star may join Liverpool

Show/hide article…

A cryptic message from the West Ham defender Jose Fonte on Virgil van Dijk’s Instagram page has got fans thinking that yet another Southampton player could move to Liverpool, as reported by our friends at football.london .

A £75m deal that will take Van Dijk from the Saints to Anfield in the New Year was announced on Wednesday, making him the seventh player to move from the south coast to Merseyside in the last three-and-a-half years.

And when Van Dijk posted an image of him holding his new Liverpool shirt on his Instagram page, a comment from Fonte - with whom he played at St Mary’s - seemed to hit that Ryan Bertrand might be the next to make the switch.

Fonte left a comment tagging in ex-teammate Bertrand with the caption: ‘Pleased for you!!! Good luck brother!!! Another one @iamryanbertrand [winking face emoji].’

Van Dijk joins a long list of players in making the switch from Southampton to Anfield, with Nathaniel Clyne, Dejan Lovren, Adam Lallana, Sadio Mane and Rickie Lambert all making the same move.

But Fonte, who signed for West Ham in January, left fans wondering whether Bertrand will be the next high profile departure from St Mary’s.

Bertrand, who was originally sold to the Saints for £10 million in 2015, has been linked to Manchester City and Chelsea in the past, but it is unknown whether they will reignite their interest in the England international.

Bertrand’s current contract runs to 2021, and the south-coast club value him at over £25million.

Go to the original article…

...doughtily sculpted by Optimus trousers...beta v1.9 - now with EXTRA pictures!

[Optimus-trousers]

Sourced from Optimus trousers summary article summary

Summary of non-mainstream articles: 28/12/2017 02:12:29

|

| “Happy new year José Mourinho” - Liverpoool Fans Send Twitter To Meltdown As Club Confirm £75m SigningTHEKOPTIMES |
|

| Odds drop on Walcott rejoining Saints | Arseblog News - the Arsenal news siteARSEBLOG |
| | What Jurgen Klopp said when Pogba signed for Man Utd now looks so ridiculousGIVEMESPORT |
| | Southampton looking to conclude attacker dealREADSOUTHAMPTON |

...identically generated by Optimus trousers...beta v1.9 - now with EXTRA pictures!

[Optimus-trousers]

Sourced from Daily Mail article

Liverpool will not solve defensive woes with just Virgil van Dijk

Show/hide article…

Virgil van Dijk is an important signing for Liverpool, but while centre back is a position Jurgen Klopp needed to strengthen, one player will not fix the problems in his defence.

What Klopp should do now is use this as an opportunity to form a new partnership in the heart of Liverpool’s back-line, by moving Joe Gomez into the middle to play alongside his record signing.

Until his ankle injury last January, Van Dijk was one of the best defenders in the Premier League. He was using the ball well and purring around the pitch. He had pace, power in the air and was really looking the part.

Whether it is because he is not 100 per cent fit or has not wanted to risk another injury, it has felt like Van Dijk has been going through the motions for Southampton this season.

He has plenty of work to do to get back to his best but you feel there is a lot more to come. While Dejan Lovren and Joel Matip are too cumbersome and lack mobility, Van Dijk and Gomez are both quick players who would complement each other well.

Gomez has earned his stripes playing out wide but at times, such as in last week’s 3-3 draw at Arsenal, he has looked like a centre half playing at right back. It is time for Gomez to be given his chance at centre back.

There have been too many changes to Liverpool’s defence this season. It is one thing rotating your forward players but frequent changes to the back line can breed instability.

This is a great chance for Klopp to take a sharper look at what is best defensively for his side in the long term and start to work with a settled back four.

Go to the original article…

...muddledly dreamed-up by Optimus trousers...beta v1.9 - now with EXTRA pictures!

[Optimus-trousers]

Sourced from Daily Mail article

Manchester City continue to track Ryan Bertrand after summer talks

Show/hide article…

Manchester City look set to bolster their defensive options during the January transfer window with Jonny Evans and Ryan Bertrand part of a five-man shortlist.

Pep Guardiola, whose Manchester City side are 15 points clear at the top of the Premier League, wants to add a centre back and left back to his squad.

Evans, 29, is attracting interest from several Premier League sides — including Arsenal — but City could tempt him to return to Manchester after leaving rivals United in 2015.

West Brom boss Alan Pardew will be hoping to keep hold of his star defender but may have to sell in order to rebuild other areas of his faltering side.

Real Sociedad’s Inigo Martinez, 26, is also attracting interest from the blue half of Manchester and Guardiola may increase his interest in a centre back after Vincent Kompany sustained yet another injury against Newcastle.

City’s scouting network are also scouring the market for a new left back with first choice full back Benjamin Mendy out until April.

Bertrand remains on the club’s radar after City originally asked about the 28-year-old England international’s availability during the summer.

The two clubs discussed the possibility of Virgil van Dijk moving to the Etihad Stadium before the season got underway but City refused to meet Southampton’s initial £60million asking price.

Van Dijk’s move to Liverpool was announced on Wednesday in a deal worth £75m, making the former City target the world’s most expensive defender.

City are also keeping tabs on Espanyol’s Aaron Martin, 20, and Philipp Max, 24, of Augsburg.

Go to the original article…

...revoltingly given breath to by Optimus trousers...beta v1.9 - now with EXTRA pictures!

[Optimus-trousers]

Sourced from Daily Star article

Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher reveals why Virgil van Dijk chose Reds over Man City

Show/hide article…

The Dutchman flirted with a move to Anfield throughout the summer transfer window but remained a Southampton player, despite handing in a transfer request. But Jurgen Klopp finally got his man as the club announced they had reached an agreement with the Saints on Wednesday. The 26-year-old will officially join Liverpool on January 1 in a deal worth £75m - a world-record fee for a defender. Runaway Premier League leaders Manchester City were also expected to make a move for Van Dijk, but Carragher insists that he was always going to sign for Klopp.

“But there’s no doubt about that he should be one of the first names on the team sheet for Jurgen Klopp.” “There was talk over the last few days that they (City) were going to go in for him,” he told Sky Sports. "I thought they should go in for him, he looks like a natural replacement for Vincent Kompany, and what a player he’s been over the last seven or eight years for Manchester City. “But they’ve still got some other really good centre-backs, (Nicolas) Otamendi, John Stones, even though he’s out at the moment. But there’s no doubt about that he should be one of the first names on the team sheet for Jurgen Klopp.” Liverpool desperately needed reinforcements at the back as they look to close the 20-point gap on City at the top of the table. The Reds are currently fourth and Carragher, who spent 17 years in the heart of defence at Anfield, believes Van Dijk will help his former side qualify for next season’s Champions League.

When asked if they’ll finish in the top four he said: "Yes, it’s more likely because they’ve now got a better defender than what they had before. "But, I think looking at Van Dijk these last few months, I think he’s got to get fitter. Maybe he could lose a few pounds as he’s not been playing much. "I’m not sure he’ll go straight in. As we’ve seen, Klopp likes to rotate, and will want to get him on the training ground and see him right. “Once he does, I don’t think he’ll be dislodged.” Liverpool return to action on Saturday as they host Leicester (3pm).

Go to the original article…

...confidentially created by Optimus trousers...beta v1.9 - now with EXTRA pictures!

[Optimus-trousers]

Sourced from Mirror.co.uk article

Jamie Carragher trolls Gary Neville by comparing Virgil van Dijk to Man Utd flop

Show/hide article…

Wednesday’s news that Liverpool are to make Virgil van Dijk the world’s most expensive defender was obviously a hot topic on social media.

And Sky Sports pundits Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville were never going to be able to resist giving their opinions.

Van Dijk will become a Reds player on January 1 when he completes a staggering £75m switch from Southampton , ending a transfer saga which began in the summer and featured the Saints accusing the Reds of tapping up the Dutch centre-back.

But for many, the size of the fee is impossible to ignore.

Van Dijk surpasses £54m Kyle Walker to become the costliest defender on the planet, and Neville clearly had his tongue in his cheek on Wednesday night when he tweeted “Good value @Carra23?” to his punditry pal.

Carragher wasn’t having it though, and reminded Neville that his beloved United shelled out a large amount - although not quite half Van Dijk’s fee - on the £31m Victor Lindelof in the summer, with the Swede going on to struggle at Old Trafford, making just five league starts.

Carragher tweeted “Not sure, but double the price of Lindelof sounds cheap to me!”

Neville later urged his Sky colleague go not “go all defensive” as the pair continued to exchange, with the ex-United defender later giving his thoughts on the fee to Sky Sports.

“It’s a lot of money isn’t it,” he said.

"I’ve not seen a lot of Southampton recently but I’m not sure he’s playing that well.

“He’s a good defender. They’ll need to get him back to his best for that money. I’m not surprised by the transfer but that’s an incredible amount of money.”

Carragher has suggested that Van Dijk might need to bide his time before becoming at Anfield, despite the fee.

I think he’s got to get fitter," he said. "Maybe he could lose a few pounds as he’s not been playing much.

"I’m not sure he’ll go straight in. As we’ve seen, Klopp likes to rotate, and will want to get him on the training ground and see him right.

“Once he does, I don’t think he’ll be dislodged.”

Go to the original article…

...enviously caused to be by Optimus trousers...beta v1.9 - now with EXTRA pictures!

[Optimus-trousers]

Sourced from BBC article

Van Dijk is good, but not worth £75m - Shearer, In Short - Radio 5 live

Show/hide article…

Alan Shearer believes Liverpool have paid over the odds for Southampton defender Virgil van Dijk.

The Dutch international will join the Merseyside club when the transfer window re-opens on 1 January in a world record £75m deal.

Former England captain Shearer says Liverpool have had to pay so much because “they’re desperate for a centre-half”.

This clip was first broadcast on 5 live Sport, Wednesday 27 December 2017.

Go to the original article…

...spiritlessly spawned by Optimus trousers...beta v1.9 - now with EXTRA pictures!

[Optimus-trousers]

Sourced from Optimus trousers summary article summary

Summary of non-mainstream articles: 28/12/2017 05:13:24

| | Dutch defender van Dijk joins Liverpool for world-record fee - Xinhua | English.news.cnXINHUANEWSAGENCY |
|

| Liverpool: Reds reach an agreement with Southampton for Virgil Van DijkFANSIDEDTHETOPFLIGHT |
| | Liverpool to Sign Southampton Defender for World Record £75mTHISDAY |
|

| Virgil van Dijk to Wear Number Four at LiverpoolSBNATIONTHELIVERPOOLOFFSIDE |
|

| Virgil van Dijk: Liverpool signs defender from Southampton with $100.5 million feeUPICOM |
| | World’s most expensive transfers, Virgil van Dijk, NeymarFOXSPORTSAU |
| | Of course Virgil van Dijk’s first game for Liverpool is against EvertonJOECOUK |
|

| Liverpool’s massive $129m transfer moveWESTAUSTRALIAN |
| | Jamie Carragher reacts to Virgil van Dijk deal, wants him to emulate Manchester United heroHEREISTHECITY |
|

| Liverpool’s Price for Van Dijk? A Wait, an Apology and $100 MillionNYTIMES |

...intimidatedly produced by Optimus trousers...beta v1.9 - now with EXTRA pictures!

[Optimus-trousers]

Sourced from Daily Star article

Virgil van Dijk and the seven other players to quit Southampton for Liverpool

Show/hide article…

VIRGIL VAN DIJK has joined Liverpool from Southampton - and he is now the eighth man to do so in the Premier League.

The Dutch centre-back will officially become the most expensive defender in the history of football when he completes a £75m transfer on New Year’s Day.

But while his transfer fee is unprecedented - as it is also a club record for the Reds - his path is one that is well-trodden.

Indeed, he becomes the sixth Saints ace to move to Anfield since the summer of 2014, and the eighth in total during the Premier League era.

But can you remember all of the others?

It’s fair to say they have enjoyed mixed fortunes on Merseyside.

CLICK THROUGH THE GALLERY ABOVE TO SEE ALL THE PLAYERS LIVERPOOL HAVE SIGNED FROM SOUTHAMPTON.

Go to the original article…

...demurely bred by Optimus trousers...beta v1.9 - now with EXTRA pictures!

[Optimus-trousers]

Sourced from Mirror.co.uk article

The amount Liverpool would’ve saved if they’d signed players before Southampton

Show/hide article…

Sometimes you just like shopping in certain places, so much so that you’ll keep going back there.

And Liverpool like shopping at Southampton. They like it a LOT.

On January 1, Virgil van Dijk will become the eighth player they’ve signed from the Saints in the Premier League era, with six of those coming in the last three-and-a-half years.

On Wednesday it was announced that Van Dijk will join the Reds when the transfer window opens for a staggering £75m - a world record fee for a defender.

Some of the players who made the journey from Southampton to Liverpool proved to be more successful than others, but almost all of them came in for a lot more money than the Saints paid for them.

Because while the Reds like signing players from the Saints, they also like doing so at a considerable mark-up in price.

In fact, if you remove the former Wales goalkeeper Paul Jones - who moved to Anfield from the Saints on an emergency loan deal in 2003 - then Liverpool have always been forced to pay considerably more for the same signing than Southampton did. Seven times.

All of which begs the question: Wouldn’t they have been better off making these signings before they’d made the move south?

Well, yes. Obviously.

Here’s how the difference stacks up.

The giant forward set a trend when he left relegated Southampton for Rafael Benitez’s European champions in 2005, and he proved a popular figure at Anfield despite only staying for three years.

The term “fairytale move” was all the rage in the summer of 2014, when Rickie Lambert managed to find his way back to his boyhood club Liverpool some 17 years after he’d been released as a teenager.

We’ll just gloss over what happened when he was there.

There can be little doubt now that Adam Lallana has been a terrific signing for Liverpool, and his return from injury has been welcomed by the club’s fans as though he’s a new signing.

All of which makes that compensation fee seem worth it for the Saints.

There have been more than a few times when the decision to pay £20m for Lovren looked more than a little crazy, but clearly the Croatian is a player than Jurgen Klopp likes, and he continues to be a key part of Liverpool’s Champions League-chasing defence.

Three seasons of Premier League consistency at Southampton were enough to make Clyne appeal to Brendan Rodgers, and he would prove to be one of the Northern Irishman’s final Liverpool signings when he snapped him up in the summer of 2015.

As with Lallana, you won’t find many people claiming that Liverpool overspent on Sadio Mane after his excellent first season at the club, but if they’d have spotted his talent sooner then they could have ended up saving two-thirds of what they paid for him.

Liverpool could have saved themselves a huge £140.7m if only they’d snapped up their transfer targets before Southampton got there, with the Saints paying a rather measly £36.8m for the same six players.

Players mature at different rates, of course, and it might be that Liverpool didn’t even want them when Southampton were signing them, but maybe it’d just be cheaper for the Reds to sign the Saints’ scouts instead?

Go to the original article…

...frowningly thrown together by Optimus trousers...beta v1.9 - now with EXTRA pictures!

[Optimus-trousers]

Sourced from Daily Star article

£75m star Virgil van Dijk didn’t look like a top-six defender while at Celtic - Redknapp

Show/hide article…

That’s the verdict of former Premier League manager Harry Redknapp.

Van Dijk will move from Southampton to Liverpool for a world-record price for a defender on January 1 after the two clubs agreed a £75m fee yesterday.

The Dutch defender has impressed at St Mary’s since his move south from Celtic in 2015.

Redknapp says plenty of clubs were checking out the player, but were not convinced he had what it takes.

“It’s crazy money for a central defender," he said on BBC Radio 5 Live.

Go to the original article…

...raspily shaped by Optimus trousers...beta v1.9 - now with EXTRA pictures!

[Optimus-trousers]

Sourced from A tweet by SouthamptonFC tweet

@SouthamptonFC - Southampton FC

We’ll be live from Staplewood this afternoon as Mauricio Pellegrino speaks with the media ahead of #SaintsFC’s… https://twitter.com/i/web/status/946305471736107010

Retweets: 0

Favourites: 0

...obstinately generated by Optimus trousers...beta v1.9 - now with EXTRA pictures!

[Optimus-trousers]

Sourced from Optimus trousers summary article summary

Summary of non-mainstream articles: 28/12/2017 09:15:09

| | ‘What a day’, ‘I am crying’ - Liverpool fans are buzzing with confirmed world record dealFOOTBALLFANCAST |
| | Liverpool sign Southampton defender Virgil van Djik for record £75 mTHESTATESMAN |
|

| Jamie Carragher names four ways Virgil van Dijk is better than Liverpool FC legendSPORTREVIEWCOM |
| | Transfer news: Guardiola claims Manchester City weren’t interested in Van Dijk | Goal.comGOALDOTCOM |
| | Chelsea to battle Manchester City and Arsenal for Burnley defenderFOOTBALLLONDON |
| | Liverpool Agree Deals worth £126.5million to Secure SigningSOCCERISMA |
| | Transfer news: Guardiola claims Manchester City weren’t interested in Van Dijk | Goal.comGOALDOTCOM |
| | Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk must regain pre-injury form to justify £75m feeGOLIVERPOOL |
| | Liverpool land van Dijk in world record dealTHEPUNCHNG |
| | Virgil van Dijk set to become most expensive defender as Liverpool agree record dealINDIATODAY |
|

| Liverpool FC signing Virgil van Dijk league’s best defender, claims Southampton starSPORTREVIEWCOM |
|

| Liverpool Land Virgil Van Dijk in World Record Deal For Defender – NDTV SportsNDTVCOM |
|

| Van Dijk Is Coming To Liverpool But Don’t Forget About Trent Alexander-ArnoldSBNATIONTHELIVERPOOLOFFSIDE |
| | Guardiola: City weren’t interested in Van DijkFOURFOURTWO |

...self-servingly put together by Optimus trousers...beta v1.9 - now with EXTRA pictures!