Virgil Van Dijk

Liverpool shattered their transfer record to secure the signing of Southampton centre-back Virgil van Dijk in January 2018. The Reds agreed a deal which could rise to £75m inclusive of add ons but it rapidly proved to be a bargain. His imperious defending and leadership helped Liverpool reach the Champions League final less than six months after his arrival and a year later he was part of the defence that kept a clean sheet in Madrid as the Reds went one better and became Champions of Europe for the sixth time. Van Dijk was voted UEFA Player of the Season and was runner up for Ballon d'Or award.