The 5 most expensive defenders of all time

#2 Virgil van Dijk (Southampton to Liverpool, 2018)

Probably one of the best signings for the Scousers in 2018.

Transfer fee: £75 million

When Liverpool splashed an atrocious £75m, thereby making him the most expensive defender in the world (as of August 3, 2019), the critics bashed the Merseyside club.

However, multiple awards and a gleaming Champions League trophy later, the critics were silenced by the Dutch international.

The former Southampton center-back improved steadily during his time at the Saints and was a part of their fabled back-four.

Van Dijk's performances over the 2018-19 season had been so spectacular that multiple fan portals were abuzz with awarding him the best defender of all times award.

Fan frenzy apart, it was his effective leadership under which the Liverpool defense conceded only 22 goals (the least number of goals conceded by any team for the season). Liverpool was inches close to winning the Premier League title, finishing one point behind Manchester City.