Sourced from talkSPORT article
exclusive: Virgil van Dijk has had attitude problems in the past, says former Liverpool player
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Virgil van Dijk has got to show a better attitude at Liverpool than he did at Southampton last summer, according to former Reds player Dean Saunders.
The centre-back sealed a £75million move to Anfield earlier this week, making him the world’s most expensive defender.
The move and van Dijk’s price tag has divided many since it was announced on Wednesday that the Dutchman would start his Liverpool career on January 1st.
This saga has finally been brought to an end which saw Southampton and Liverpool engaged in a tug of war last summer for van Dijk who handed in a transfer request in August to try and force through a move.
And Saunders, who spoke to talkSPORT’s Jim White on the Jim White show suggested van Dijk has the potential to be difficult for Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp to handle.
“I have seen van Dijk with the chips down and I’ve got to be honest, I hope I’m wrong, but his attitude has got to be better than he has shown,” Saunders said.
“If I’m Liverpool manager I might think he’ll do that to me.”
Former Saints boss Claude Puel claimed van Dijk could become the best defender in the world at Liverpool but others remain unconvinced.
And Saunders went on to say that Klopp might try and strike a deal with his latest signing in order to prevent any potential conflict between the player and manager.
He added: “If I was Klopp, I would say to van Dijk: ‘I’m going to pay £75million for you, I’m going to give you £200,000 a week, all I want from you is an hour and a half’s training from you every day flat out and try your best on a Saturday, is that a deal?’
“If you come in one day and you’re not having a go in training you are breaking the contract. If he [van Dijk] doesn’t do that, he will get found out.”
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