Liverpool’s defence has been a major reason for them not quite being able to challenge for the title despite having the attacking talents like Roberto Firmino, Philippe Coutinho, Mo Salah and Sadio Mane at their disposal.

The Reds, shockingly for a side that is currently top four in the Premier League, have the third WORST defensive record away from home in the league. Only West Ham and Stoke have conceded more on the road, and even bottom of the table Swansea have shipped in less than Jurgen Klopp’s side on their travels.

A very classic recent example was this fixture at the Emirates, where five minutes of madness effectively saw the Reds having to settle for a point despite dominating the game.

The Reds have moved to plug this hole by agreeing a 75 million pound deal to sign Virgil Van Dijk from Southampton, making the Dutch international the world’s most expensive defender. 70 million of that sum will be paid upfront to Southampton, with Van Dijk’s former club Celtic also set to profit owing to a 10% sell on clause.

Liverpool fans will be hoping that Van Dijk can form a successful partnership with Joel Matip in the heart of defence and that they would not have to depend on error prone Croatian defender Dejan Lovren anymore.