Liverpool have had to make a U-turn in their pursuit of Virgil Van Dijk due to allegations of tapping up the Southampton centre-back.
Considering Van Dijk was Liverpool’s primary summer transfer target, the club’s fans will undoubtedly be disappointed at the fact that he won’t be plying his trade at Anfield come next season.
Nevertheless, there are a plethora of quality centre-backs who share broad similarities with Van Dijk – some of them even cost less than the Dutchman’s reported £60million price tag.
Here are five possible alternatives to Virgil Van Dijk:
4Stefan de Vrij
Liverpool have previously tabled a bid for the Netherlands international only to have it rejected by Lazio for not meeting their valuation of de Vrij.
Recent reports have linked them to the Dutchman who has been a standout player for Lazio in recent seasons.
He’s good in the air and a nightmare to play against. He’s also very composed on the ball, an attribute which Liverpool’s backline doesn’t have in abundance.
