Virgil van Dijk transfer fee will be worth every penny if he helps Liverpool to win trophies, says Jamie Carragher

The Dutch centre-back will move to Anfield when the transfer window re-opens for a world-record fee

Jamie Carragher has shrugged off concerns that Liverpool have overspent on Virgil van Dijk by claiming the defender will be worth every penny of his £75m price tag if he helps the club to win trophies.

The Dutch centre-back will move to Anfield when the transfer window re-opens for a world-record fee, eclipsing the £53m Manchester City spent on Kyle Walker in the summer

Van Dijk is now the most expensive defender in world football and the second most expensive transfer in Premier League history.

His fee of £75m is level with Manchester United striker Romelu Lukaku and behind only the club’s £90m purchase of Paul Pogba, in August 2016.

But Carragher has said his price tag is ultimately irrelevant if he can bolster Liverpool’s leaky backline and help the club to win trophies under Jurgen Klopp.

“I think there is a dearth of top-class centre-backs throughout world football hence why so many clubs wanted him and the transfer fee is so high,” said Carragher.

“People will look at the transfer that normally strikers go for but as with any transfer fee if he performs well and does his job it will be worth it.

“The one centre-back when the transfer fee felt so huge at the time was 15 years ago when Rio Ferdinand went to Manchester United.

“But he repaid that. He was Manchester United's top centre-back, won trophies and was there for 10 years.

“That is what Van Dijk has to do, take Liverpool to trophies and be Liverpool's No 1 centre-back for the next decade or so.”