Liverpool Avoid Fine For Tapping Up Southampton’s Virgil Van Dijk

Liverpool have evaded a fine from the Premier League for allegedly tapping up Southampton Saints defender Virgil Van Dijk. 

Liverpool’s Jurgen Klopp reportedly met with Virgil Van Dijk

The Saints complained to the league that Jurgen Klopp’s team had targeted the Dutch defender without warning them beforehand.

The Anfield-based club announced their belief that they had secured Van Dijk in a £60 million ($76.87 million) deal amid rumors Klopp had met with the defender, who will be 26 in July.

Furious with the Reds’ move, Southampton were prepared to file a full complaint against Liverpool, who eventually apologized.

Klopp’s team then said they would no longer be pursuing Van Dijk, despite how interested the German manager is in the defender.

The Premier League reviewed Southampton’s complaint and asked Liverpool for their account of events, although the league did not launch a formal investigation. For now, it seems the Saints’ new manager Mauricio Pellegrino will seek to prevent any other club from poaching Van Dijk.

Chelsea and Manchester City are also reportedly targeting the Dutch defender, who is believed to be worth over £50 million ($64 million) and has played spectacularly since transferring from Celtic in the summer of 2015 for £11.5 million ($14.73 million). Van Dijk is under contract with Southampton until 22.

In other Premier League news, Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho says his club will attempt to sign Monaco’s Brazilian right-back/midfielder Fabinho even after recruiting Chelsea’s Serbian defensive midfielder Nemanja Matic.

Matic is expected to be United’s first summer signing and will join the Old Trafford-based club for a believed £35 million ($44.84 million). The Serb will leave as soon as his replacement, Tiemoue Bakayoko, arrives at Chelsea from Monaco.

Mourinho was Matic’s coach at Chelsea for two years, including the year the Blues won the Premier League (2015). However, the Portuguese manager severely criticized the Serb in his last few months at Stamford Bridge.

Monaco would suffer a severe blow if Fabinho left, since they have already sold Bernardo Silva to Manchester City, lost Valere Germain to Marseille and Nabil Dirar to Fenerbahce.

NORWICH, ENGLAND – JANUARY 07: Virgil van Dijk of Southampton reacts during the Emirates FA Cup Third Round match between Norwich City and Southampton at Carrow Road on January 7, 2017 in Norwich, England. (Photo by Stephen Pond/Getty Images)