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Liverpool news: Harry Redknapp reveals surprise at ‘amazing’ signing
LIVERPOOL defender Virgil van Dijk has been an amazing signing but it is a surprise it took so long for him to join a top European club.
That is the opinion of former Tottenham and West Ham manager Harry Redknapp.
Van Dijk joined Liverpool in January this year for around £75million - a world-record transfer fee for a defender.
The Dutchman has had a major impact on the Reds’ defence and helped them reach the Champions League final last season.
Van Dijk had spent the previous two-and-a-half years at Southampton, after joining from Celtic in the summer of 2015 aged 24.
Suddenly Southampton take a gamble, they buy him, bring him down to the Premier League, and suddenly he’s £70m-odd
Redknapp was asked on talkSPORT this morning about the impact Van Dijk and goalkeeper Alisson, who joined in the summer, have had on Liverpool.
And he admitted he could not understand why Van Dijk had not been picked up earlier before Southampton took a “gamble” on him.
“Great signings, weren’t they,” Redknapp said of Alisson and Van Dijk on talkSPORT.
“Van Dijk has been amazing.
“Isn’t it amazing, he goes to Celtic, he’s playing great up there.
“You can imagine the amount of scouts that must have looked at him, they all go and look at him.
“'Well, you know, yeah, but he’s playing in Scotland’.
“And suddenly Southampton take a gamble, they buy him, bring him down to the Premier League, and suddenly he’s £70m-odd.
“Where were all the great judges before he went to Southampton? It makes you wonder doesn’t it.
“But what a player he looks now, fantastic.”
Jurgen Klopp's side begin their Champions League campaign this evening when they welcome Paris Saint-Germain to Anfield (8pm).
Striker Roberto Firmino remains a doubt after picking up an eye injury in the win over Tottenham on Saturday.