Club captain told Wirtz “Liverpool is the place to be”
Virgil van Dijk played a part in convincing Florian Wirtz to make his high-profile transfer to Liverpool, the club captain has said.
Wirtz arrived at Anfield last month from Bayer Leverkusen in a deal that could rise to £116m, making him the most expensive signing in the club’s history.
Liverpool had to fend off serious interest from Bayern Munich and Manchester City to complete the deal. Van Dijk said he spoke to Wirtz while the attacking midfielder was still weighing his options.
While he didn’t reveal the full details of their exchange, he admitted telling Wirtz plainly that “Liverpool is the place to be”.
“When I joined the club I said: ‘I don’t think there’s a better place to be than Liverpool’. I really feel that way,” Van Dijk told The Athletic.
“We had a fantastic season and I feel like this can only become better. When Florian spoke to the club and certain players, I spoke to him as well a little bit. I’m sure he got a feel for it and then he made a decision.”
Wirtz is currently with the Liverpool squad in pre-season. He is one of several big-money signings the club have made this summer, with the latest being Hugo Ekitike who joined from Eintracht Frankfurt in a deal that could reach £79m.
The Premier League champions’ total spend in this window has come very close to £300m.
Van Dijk said the spending reflects both the club’s ambition and the demands of a competitive Premier League.
“The Premier League is incredibly strong so it’s only right that we have to improve too,” said the captain.
“We know we have a very good team but additions are always a plus and I’ve been really impressed with how they have settled in.
“There are no guarantees in terms of retaining the title or winning more trophies. But improving the squad is always a good thing. Adding quality helps to raise the standard in both training and games.”
