Gary Neville Admits He Was Shocked by Virgil van Dijk's £75m Transfer Fee as Liverpool Confirm Move

Since Liverpool announced that they had agreed a £75m deal to sign Virgil van Dijk from Southampton on Wednesday night, the world of football has been quick to react.

The deal is both a club record for Liverpool and a world record fee for a defender, with Sky Sports pundit and former Manchester United defender Gary Neville among those to react to the news, with the ex-England international questioning the Dutchman's recent form.

The Express quoted Neville as telling Sky Sports: “It is a lot of money and I’m not even sure he has been playing that well. I know Liverpool have wanted him for six months and they do need back up."

Neville went onto say: “I was like wow, £75m. I was not surprised by the actual transfer but that is an incredible amount of money.

“What can I say is Liverpool need defenders. They have to pay to get him and that’s the way the market is.”

The former England international did reveal that he feels this could yet be a good deal for both clubs, claiming: “It sounds like a fantastic deal for Southampton but if Liverpool can stop creaking in big matches, which they do tend to creak when they are put under pressure, then it will be a good deal.

“People will forget about the money that has been spent in a year or twos time if they can win trophies and get that defence right.”

Not surprisingly, Neville has also exchanged views on the deal with his Sky Sports punditry sparring partner and former Liverpool centre back Jamie Carragher on Twitter.

Van Dijk will officially become a Liverpool player when the January transfer window opens on New Year's Day, but having not played any of Southampton's last three games, it remains to be seen how close to match fitness the Dutchman will be when he arrives at Anfield.