Harry Diamond
Juventus are reportedly plotting a sensational £150m move for Virgil van Dijk, the Italian champions prepared to make the Liverpool star the world’s most expensive defender for a second time.
Maurizio Sarri’s side are seeking to build a team capable of winning the Champions League in the coming seasons, Juventus having failed to win Europe’s elite competition since the mid-nineties despite years of domestic dominance.
Having secured the signing of Cristiano Ronaldo from Real Madrid in 2018, Juve will now turn their attentions to a player regarded as the world’s finest defender with a huge bid to tempt Van Dijk away from the Premier League.
According to the Sun, the Turin based side are prepared to pay a fee of £150m to sign the Dutch international, double the £75m Liverpool paid to sign Van Dijk from Southampton in January 2018.
Since that move, Van Dijk has gone on to establish himself as the leading centre-back in world football, helping Jurgen Klopp’s side to Champions League success last season in addition to being named as the PFA Player of the Year and as runner-up to Lionel Messi for the Ballon d’Or.
UEFA Super Cup and Club World Cup success have also come over the course of the past year, whilst the Merseyside club are on course to secure an elusive league title following an unbeaten start to the season which has seen the Reds open up a 22-point lead at the top of the Premier League.
Despite his wealth of success at Anfield, Juve believe they may be able to tempt the defender into a new challenge at the end of the season, the 28-year-old having spent the past seven seasons of his career in British football.
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