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:
3Kalidou Koulibaly
Despite being on Chelsea’s radar, Jurgen Klopp’s side could make a move for highly-rated Napoli defender, Kalidou Koulibaly.
He’s a robust centre-back who relishes the physical battles on the pitch. He’s got decent ball playing skills, but his main strong point is his ability to prevent attacks from culminating in goals.
The 25-year-old’s transfer fee would probably be similar to Van Dijk’s given he’s a key player at Napoli and one of the best defenders in the Serie A.
