The choice that changed everything

Eight years ago, Virgil van Dijk sat down and weighed up three of English football's biggest clubs. Manchester City wanted him. Chelsea wanted him. And Liverpool wanted him. The decision he made in January 2018 cost the Reds £75million and made him the most expensive defender in the world at the time. Looking back now, it is difficult to argue it was anything other than the best piece of business this club has ever done.

Van Dijk has gone on to win eight major trophies at Anfield, including the Champions League and two Premier League titles, and at 35 he remains one of the finest central defenders the modern game has produced. But the path to Anfield was never a formality. He had serious options, and he has been open about exactly what swung it.

Why Klopp made the difference

In 2020, Van Dijk put it plainly. "I had the chance to go to Chelsea and Man City," he said. "When you compare the clubs, you look at the history, the town, the current squad, their plans for the near future. But the most important thing you look at is the manager – and Jurgen Klopp is an important reason why I chose for Liverpool."

What followed was one of the most revealing explanations of what made Klopp so different. "I think it is his man-management. These days that is more important than anything in football. Klopp gives you this great feeling. He is genuinely happy when you walk into the club in the morning. It may sound daft, but that really inspires you as a player. He gives every player a hug after the game. It might be a really small detail, yet it feels good for every player. And the next day, he can hammer you in front of the squad in training. But then you accept that too. Because you know it is not personal. That way he can demand a lot from us."

There is something telling about the fact that a player weighing up clubs of that stature landed on a manager's personality as the deciding factor. Not the wage packet. Not the trophy cabinet at that precise moment. The human being in the dugout.

Staying when it mattered most

The real test of that connection came when Klopp departed in the summer of 2024. The man Van Dijk had cited as his primary reason for coming to Liverpool was gone, and the question of whether the Dutchman would follow was never far from the surface. He did not. He stayed, adapted, and went on to win another Premier League title under Arne Slot.

Then in April 2025, Van Dijk put the matter completely to rest by signing a new contract keeping him at Anfield until the summer of 2028. His words at the time left nothing to interpretation. "It was always Liverpool. That was the case. It was always in my head, it was always the plan and it was always Liverpool. There wasn't any doubt in my head that this is the place to be for me and my family."

He went further still, embracing something that no contract clause could ever manufacture. "Someone called me the other day an adopted Scouser – I'm really proud to hear these things, it gives me a great feeling. I love the city, I love the club, I love the fans. I love my teammates. I love everything that embodies Liverpool and on to many more."

Still here, still essential

With Manchester City arriving as league opponents at the weekend, there is a certain irony in revisiting the story of the player who turned them down. The man they missed out on has lifted silverware that their own defenders could only watch from the other side of the pitch.

Van Dijk came for a manager. He stayed for a club. And as Liverpool head into the next chapter with a settled, committed captain at the heart of their defence, that £75million fee looks more like a bargain with every passing season.