Ian Wright has claimed that Liverpool’s signing of Virgil van Dijk is the ‘perfect’ way to go about transfers.
The Reds have made the most exciting capture of this month’s transfer window with the addition of gifted Porto forward Luis Diaz for a fee that could hit £49m.
But four years ago it was all about Van Dijk after the defender arrived at Anfield in a £75m deal that has long since proven to be money well spent.
Eighteen months before the Holland international joined Liverpool, Manchester United paid an even bigger fee to bring Paul Pogba back to the club from Juventus.
READ MORE: Liverpool make Fabio Carvalho move as Julian Ward looks to secure another deadline day transfer
READ MORE: Luis Diaz's seven-word message to Liverpool fans after completing £49m transfer from Porto
But the then-world-record £89.3m capture has truly failed to hit the heights at Old Trafford and could be set to leave the club on a free transfer this summer when his contract expires.
And Arsenal legend Wright, speaking to Premier League productions, said: “You can look at Pogba’s signing.
“You look at Pogba, he’s not a six, he’s not an eight and not a 10.
“He is a player we saw when he played for Juventus, on the left, with a very well-balanced midfield and played with freedom. Aaron Ramsey, the same kind of player. He plays with freedom. You need the right players.
“That is where people are buying the wrong type of player without fitting them in. This is where the Virgil van Dijk signing is absolutely perfect.
“That’s why they would have paid another £25m for him – you look at how Virgil was playing for Celtic, he is playing exactly the same now.
“This is why all of the top teams have missed out on a player that was showing, the fact that he was playing in a league that wasn’t as good as the Premier League, but Liverpool have benefited from it.”
