Southampton defender Virgil van Dijk has reached a verbal agreement to sign for Liverpool, according to Read Liverpool.
The Liverpool site claim two sources close to the situation have revealed that the strapping centre-back, 25, has agreed to join the Merseysiders if they finish in the top four this season.
It is stated that the 6ft 5in defender has already held talks with Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp about the role he would have in the team.
Read Liverpool report that the 2005 Champions League winners are happy to meet Southampton’s £50million valuation of the player, which would comfortably demolish the club transfer record.
Liverpool signed Andy Carroll for £35million in January 2011 and forked out an initial £34million rising to £38million rising to add-ons for Sadio Mane, coincidentally from Southampton, last summer.
Van Dijk has emerged as one of the most in-demand players in the Premier League this summer even though injury has sidelined him since late January.
The 12-times Holland international joined Southampton from Celtic in the summer of 2015 and has made impressive strides in the subsequent period, that has attracted the attention of a number of elite Premier League clubs including Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester City.
Read Liverpool add the caveat that Liverpool are yet to agree a fee with Southampton for the signing of the player, which demonstrates that it is far from a done deal