Southampton ex-CEO makes admission over Virgil Van Dijk move to Liverpool
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Image Credits: Imago ImagesLiverpool supporters know how hard it is to land the right player when every top club is fighting for talent.
In recent years the club has had to battle Manchester City, Chelsea and big European sides for the best defenders and forwards.
Fans still remember how tense the chase for a proven centre-back was back in 2017.
The team had attacking power but needed a leader at the back.
Everyone could see it.
The defence had struggled in big games and rivals were strengthening.
Liverpool could not afford to miss.
That is why Virgil van Dijk’s transfer stands out.
At the time, his signing felt like a turning point.
Today it is clear it really was.
The Dutchman became a Champions League winner and later a two-time Premier League champion.
He even won UEFA Men’s Player of the Year in 2019 and finished second in the Ballon d’Or behind Lionel Messi.
His impact was instant and lasting.
For Liverpool fans it is also a reminder of how bold decisions, like this summer’s record moves for Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak, can shape the future.
Now a key figure from Southampton has opened up about how the transfer played out.
Former CEO Martin Semmens told ESPN UK that the club mishandled the situation.
In his words, “We kept him until January.”
“It wasn’t good for the squad or the environment, but to be clear, Virgil never said one negative word to anybody.”
He explained that they believed waiting could bring in more money, saying, “We felt, at the time, we could get more if he stayed.”
“He’d had a bad injury, I think he’d been out for six to nine months, and we felt that he owed us, which is embarrassing now, I think back to it.”
Semmens also pointed to Liverpool’s early approach.
“There was also some contact from Liverpool we didn’t love.”
“At that time, probably a little more for the morals, he had already met Klopp before he told us.”
Looking back, he summed it up as an “embarrassing” chapter for Southampton.
For Liverpool, those months of waiting ended with a £75m signing that changed the club’s story.
From Madrid nights to lifting the Premier League trophy, Van Dijk proved why bold moves pay off.
Southampton may regret how they handled it, but at Anfield the outcome could not have been better.
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