Virgil van Dijk reveals what he told Florian Wirtz in private phone call that convinced him to join Liverpool
Virgil van Dijk spoke to Florian Wirtz before he completed his transfer to Liverpool.
Virgil van DIjk has revealed what he said to Florian Wirtz in a private phone call before the star player completed his blockbuster transfer to Liverpool.
Liverpool have been extremely busy this summer, having splashed the cash to sign new recruits, including Wirtz.
The Reds shelled out a whopping £116 million to lure Wirtz to Anfield, fending off competition from Manchester City and Bayern Munich in the process.
He's already made an impression as he wowed Liverpool fans with his display against Stoke City in a behind-closed-doors friendly.
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Wirtz is in line to get another runout during Liverpool's pre-season tour of Asia.
Ahead of Liverpool's game against AC Milan on Saturday, Van Dijk fielded questions from the media as he touched on the club's spending spree.
He also revealed that he convinced Wirtz to join Liverpool amid intense negotiations.
"When I joined the club I said it, I don't think there's a better place to be than Liverpool," said Van Dijk. "I really feel that way. 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. Coming here, he can really make an impact in my opinion.
"But it's also down to him in terms of showing it every single day. He's getting there and it's good to see. I spoke to him, I said to him: 'Liverpool is the place to be'."
Liverpool recently added Hugo Ekitike to their star-studded squad, with the club's transfer activity impressing Van Dijk.
"Yeah, I don't think it's been a bad transfer window in terms of the additions that we have made and the money we've spent," he added. "The club is obviously trying to improve our squad."
As mentioned, Liverpool face AC Milan before flying to Japan to face Yokohama FM next Wednesday.
Arne Slot's side then return home to face Athletic Bilbao before meeting Crystal Palace in the Community Shield. They begin the defence of their Premier League title against Bournemouth on August 15.
Topics: Virgil Van Dijk, Liverpool, Football
Nasir Jabbar