The defender’s last visit to Anfield ended in a 3-0 defeat last month

As Virgil van Dijk walked off the Anfield pitch in mid-November, his reaction said everything about where his mind was — and had been for the previous five months.

Southampton had just been picked apart by Liverpool when Van Dijk turned to one of his team-mates as they walked back to the dressing room.

“Why wouldn’t you want to play here?” he said with a sense of longing.

Liverpool’s defensive problems have been well documented JON NAZCA/REUTERS

Soon enough he will, after Liverpool sealed his £75 million arrival from St Mary’s in what amounts to a coup, given Manchester City’s interest.

Pep Guardiola’s team may be blazing a trail in the Premier League, but the combination of Liverpool’s history, Anfield and, crucially, Jürgen Klopp has held a strong allure for the centre back since