Klopp Insists There's No Need to Sell After Record Transfer & Hints at Slow Van Dijk Integration

Jurgen Klopp has stressed that Liverpool do not need to sell players to balance the books after parting with a club record £75m to secure Virgil van Dijk, who the Reds boss admits requires time to settle into the club before he makes his debut.

The 26-year-old centre-back ended a half-year long transfer saga when it was announced that he sealed his move to Anfield on Wednesday - which will become official on January 1 - ensuring Van Dijk is eligible to play in the Reds' third round FA Cup tie against Everton on Friday.

However, despite holding the world transfer record for a defender, Van Dijk will not be rushed into the starting lineup as Klopp looks to bring the Dutch defender up to his speed with his style of play.

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Klopp said, via the Daily Mail: "He has to adapt to our style of play. It is completely different but we are 100 per cent sure he will do it. I am happy it is finally done but there is no rush."

Van Dijk's match fitness is also of concern to Klopp as he played just 16 times for Southampton throughout 2017 following a lengthy injury layoff at the start of the year.

He added: ''It was probably not his best half of the season at Southampton. He was injured and then we know about the things that happened last summer."

As Liverpool blew their previous transfer record out of the water to secure Van Dijk, speculation was a rife that the club would look to sell players - namely Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona - to recoup the money spent.

Coutinho has been a prime target for Barcelona but Klopp was quick to silence the rumours however, insisting Liverpool's Brazilian playmaker was not to be cashed in to fund van Dijk's transfer.

He added, via the Mirror: “No. Nobody told me that. We have good player and we don’t have to sell anybody because of that. So fair play to our owners that they are ambitious.

Although Coutinho's start to the season was marred by unrest following his formal transfer request, Klopp admitted he has been pleased with the 25-year-old's attitude ever since, even handing him the captains armband on a number of occasions in Jordan Henderson's absence.

He said: “I was really happy about the last few performances and about his impact. He showed his character in the games and in the training sessions. That was spot on. It was really good.

"That is what I’m interested in because all the rest I can’t, and don’t, want to talk about.”