The January transfer window will open on Monday to Liverpool’s extraordinary world-record £75 million signing of Holland centre-back Virgil van Dijk from Southampton.

As exclusively revealed by Telegraph Sport earlier today, a fee has been agreed for Van Dijk that shatters Liverpool’s previous club record transfer and is also easily the biggest in football history for a defender.

The two clubs were in secret negotiations over Christmas following the acrimonious breakdown of a potential deal last summer and Van Dijk completed a medical on Friday, agreeing personal terms on a contract worth £180,000-a-week until 2023.

Liverpool brought forward their announcement of what is a massive coup for manager Jurgen Klopp after news of the biggest Premier League deal of the year was broken by Telegraph Sport shortly before 5pm.

Without time for the usually choreographed club picture, interview and video, a photograph of Van Dijk posing with a replica Liverpool kit in front of his Christmas tree was then posted later that evening on the Liverpool website alongside confirmation he will wear the number four shirt.

News of the deal has stunned football, with runaway Premier League leaders Manchester City widely expected to sign Van Dijk this month after Liverpool’s summer attempt collapsed embarrassingly amid suggestions of illegal ‘tapping up’.