"Gakpo spoke to Virgil van Dijk" - Fabrizio Romano reveals details about when Liverpool's new signing will be unveiled 

Cody Gakpo spoke to international teammate Virgil van Dijk once Liverpool submitted an official bid for the PSV Eindhoven striker, as per journalist Fabrizio Romano.

The Reds have reached an agreement to sign the Dutch striker for a fee of £50 million with add-ons. He will travel to England to undergo a medical and has already put pen to paper on a contract with his new club.

Romano has claimed that Gakpo sought advice from Netherlands captain Virgil van Dijk once Liverpool put in a bid. The two have shared the pitch nine times as teammates and were at the 2022 FIFA World Cup as two of the Netherlands' most important players.

The 31-year-old center-back is highly rated at club and international level. He is the captain of his country and one of manager Jurgen Klopp's most trusted players. In the last five years, he has scored 18 times and assisted 11 goals in 203 games across competitions for the Merseyside outfit.

Van Dijk played a major role in their UEFA Champions League triumph in the 2018-19 campaign and the Premier League title win the following season. He has also won an FA Cup, EFL Cup, UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup trophy at Liverpool.

Gakpo took to social media to express his appreciation for Van Dijk following the Reds' 3-1 win against Aston Villa on Boxing Day. The latter also reportedly advised the former against a move to Manchester United, a club the youngster was heavily linked with earlier this year.

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Virgil van Dijk helps Liverpool to a crucial away win against Aston Villa

Van Dijk is Klopp's leader at the back. His absence arguably cost the Reds big time in their 3-2 EFL Cup loss against Manchester City on 22 December.

The Dutch center-back was crucial in helping his team get over the line against Aston Villa in an important Premier League game away from home. He helped keep Villa at bay and also made his presence felt at the other end, where he scored eight minutes from the half-time whistle to put his team 2-0 up.

The win took Liverpool within five points of fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur, who have played one game more.