Liverpool signed Southampton defender Virgil van Dijk for a reported £75 million on Wednesday.

Van Dijk had been linked with a move to Liverpool for several months and the Anfield club were forced to issue an apology after an alleged illegal approach for the Netherlands international earlier this year.

Reds boss Jurgen Klopp has remained determined to sign Van Dijk as he tries to shore up a leaky defence that has fatally damaged Liverpool’s Premier League title ambitions. It is a world record fee for a defender and puts the Dutchman in the top 10 of the world’s most expensive transfers:

This has been the season where the transfer records have tumbled like nine pins. The summer window, the most expensive one of all time, saw mind-boggling sums of cash being thrown at players. Brazilian Neymar became the world’s first £200 million player when he switched to the French capital from Barcelona.

Flying winger Ousmane Dembele then became the second most expensive player as Barca looked to fill the Neymar-shaped void in their frontline. The Frenchman moved to the Catalan giants for £96.8 million from Borussia Dortmund.

Manchester United were involved in two of the most expensive Premier League buys, until Wednesday. Paul Pogba became the world’s most expensive defender when he moved to Old Trafford in the summer of 2016 for £89 million.

Romelu Lukaku cost the Red Devils £75 million when the gangly striker moved from Everton during the summer. Argentine striker Gonzalo Higuain’s transfer from Napoli to reigning Italian champions Juventus in 2016 was also recorded as a £75 million deal.

Gareth Bale was the world’s most expensive player in 2013 after he ditched North London for Real Madrid for a fee of £85.3 million. The Welshman has since gone on to play a crucial role in Los Blancos’ three Champions League wins. The first man to touch the £80 million mark was five-time Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo, when he completed his dream move to the Santiago Bernabeau in 2009.

Ninth most expensive on the list is Luis Suarez, who moved to Barcelona from Liverpool for £65 million in 2014. In the same transfer window, James Rodriguez was bought by Madrid for £63 million.

Notes: Kylian Mbappe, £160 million move from Monaco to PSG to be completed in June, after his current loan spell.

Neymar, 2013 transfer from Santos to Barcelona originally reported as £48.6 million, but later revealed to be higher after court case

(With inputs from AFP)