Van Dijk reveals how he helped Liverpool sign Wirtz

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has revealed that he had a conversation with Florian Wirtz to help nudge the Germany international towards Merseyside amid interest from other top clubs. 

As Pulse Sports reported, the Germany international signed a long-term contract with Liverpool following a £100 million (€117.5 million) agreement (with £16 million (€18.8 million) in bonuses) with Bayer Leverkusen for his transfer.

Wirtz believes it is the right moment in his career for a significant step, and he sought a club among the global elite. He picked Liverpool despite keen interest from Bayern Munich and had earlier enquired from Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City.

Referencing his own story, Van Dijk admitted that he spoke to Wirtz before he signed and told him that Liverpool was the place to be. 

"When I joined the club, I said: ‘I don’t think there’s a better place to be than Liverpool’. I really feel that way,” he told reporters. “We had a fantastic season, and I feel like this can only become better. 

“When Florian spoke to the club and certain players, I spoke to him as well a little bit, I’m sure he got a feel for it, and then he made a decision. 

“Coming here, he can really make a big impact, in my opinion. It’s also down to him in terms of showing it every single day. He’s getting there, and it’s good to see.

Pressed to reveal what he told Wirtz, he said, "Ah, you want to know that! I spoke to him when that was is between me and him. But I said to him, ‘Liverpool is the place to be.’"