‘Fact’… Danny Murphy claims £75m player only really signed for Liverpool because of Jurgen Klopp

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Danny Murphy has suggested that Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool departure will be a real blow to one member of the current squad in particular.

Klopp’s announcement that he will leave Anfield at the end of the season has been met with universal sadness by those associated with Liverpool. After more than eight years, the journey of a lifetime will come to and end.

Although fans will be upset by Jurgen’s decision to walk away, the German’s players will surely be the most disappointed.

One who may be feeling a little more hurt than the rest could be captain Virgil van Dijk. The Dutchman has been one of Klopp’s most important players since arriving for £75m in 2018.

And speaking to TalkSPORT yesterday, Murphy claimed that he had it on good authority that the Liverpool manager had played an absolutely vital role in Van Dijk joining in the first place.

“I know this for a fact, that Virgil van Dijk when he could’ve gone to Arsenal, Man City, Chelsea or Liverpool and he met all the four managers, I know the deciding factor for him was Klopp,” said the pundit.

Klopp the deciding factor for Virgil

Just because Klopp was the key reason for Van Dijk moving to Liverpool, it may not mean quite as much six years on.

Over that time, the Netherlands international has become part of the furniture at Anfield.

Now club captain, Virgil has ingrained himself into the history of Liverpool. Surely that connection goes much deeper than merely who’s in the manager’s hot seat.

Having said that, Klopp obviously isn’t just any old manager. The 56-year-old has been the club’s figurehead and de facto leader. Playing under a new coach will likely bring a whole different feeling to Liverpool.

As a result, there may be some new concern over Van Dijk’s long-term future with the Reds.

Murphy also claimed that the centre-back could now potentially have his head turned by a move to someone like Real Madrid.

As Virgil enters the last 18 months of his contact, that will certainly be a worry for all Liverpool supporters.

The hole that Klopp is set to leave will be an enormous one for a number of reasons. For the players he leaves behind, things won’t quite be the same. That’s football though, and you’d hope that the likes of Van Dijk will be mature enough to see that.