LIVERPOOL are set to hand Virgil van Dijk a massive new £50million deal to fend off Juventus, according to reports.
The 28-year-old defender is primed to put pen to paper on a huge five-year contract that Jurgen Klopp hopes will tie him to the club.
The highest paid defenders in the world make a truly eye-watering amount of money
Football Insider claim Van Dijk can expect to earn around £200,000 a week including bonuses if the deal is finalised – a £75,000-a-week rise on his current pay packet.
But how does that compare to some of the other top defenders in the world?
Last year’s PFA player of the year is regarded as the best around – but do his wages reflect that?
Some would argue that winning the Champions League, being runner-up in the Ballon d’Or and on the brink of landing the Premier League is worth more than cash.
And you would hope that Van Dijk agrees, seeing as he would still earn less than half of what Juventus centre-back Matthijs De Ligt, 20, brings home every week.
If he earns all his bonuses then the former Ajax man who moved to Turin last summer pockets £416,000 a week.
That is £116,000 a week more than what the second highest-paid defender earns.
Paris Saint-Germain star Thiago Silva, 35, earns £300,000 every seven days, while Bayern Munich’s Lucas Hernandez, 23, pockets £250,000.
Barcelona legend Gerard Pique, 33, on £220,000, and 25-year-old PSG ace Marquinhos, who picks up £216,000, round out the top five.
Van Dijk can sleep easy in the knowledge that he is the highest paid defender in the Premier League, though.
The next best is Harry Maguire, who cost Manchester United a world-record £85m when he joined from Leicester last summer.
England defender Maguire, 26, pockets £190,000 a week at Old Trafford.
Football Insider add that Liverpool owners Fenway Sports Group consider securing Van Dijk’s services a “priority”.
Van Dijk has been a giant for Liverpool and is set to be made the highest paid defender in the PremCredit: PA:Press Association
De Ligt gets paid an absolute fortune alongside Ronaldo at JuventusCredit: AFP or licensors
SunSport exclusively revealed that Juventus are plotting a stunning £150MILLION summer swoop for Virgil van Dijk.
The Italian giants want to make the Liverpool star the world’s most expensive defender for the second time.
Having lured Cristiano Ronaldo from Real Madrid, the Serie A club have identified Van Dijk as the man who can help them win the Champions League.
Juventus plotting incredible £150m world record move for Liverpool superstar Virgil van Dijk in summer 2020
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
