Jurgen Klopp tells fans to 'forget the price tag' after Liverpool spend £75m on Virgil van Dijk

Alex Young @alexwsyoung28 December 2017

Jurgen Klopp has told fans to "forget about the price tag" after Liverpool secured a world-record deal for Virgil van Dijk and instead focus on the qualities of the defender.

Van Dijk is set to leave Southampton at the start of next month after the two clubs agreed a deal worth a reported £75 million, making the former Celtic centre-back the world's most expensive defender.

"Quality ... That's why we got him, that's why we were interested in him," Klopp told Sky Sports.

"I can imagine people think 'wow' what a number it is. But for me it is not really interesting. We don't make the prices, the market is making the prices. The first thing all Liverpool supporters should forget is the price tag.

"We only talk about the player and what he can bring in; the quality, the mentality, the character."

Liverpool play two Premier League fixtures in the space of 48 hours when they host Leicester City on Saturday and then travel to Burnley on New Year's Day.

They featured in a similar quickfire double-header during festive period last season, when they beat Manchester City but could only manage a draw against Sunderland.

"You cannot learn from it, you only learn to accept it," Klopp told liverpoolfc.com, referring to the fixture congestion.

"Now the focus is on Leicester. We are prepared for that game, for sure, and then we will see."

Liverpool are fourth in the league table with 38 points from 20 matches. Leicester are eighth on 27 points.

Additional reporting by Reuters.

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