CELTIC SET FOR £6M WINDFALL AS VIRGIL VAN DIJK CLOSES IN ON RECORD TRANSFER TO LIVERPOOL

The Dutchman will become the most expensive defender in football history when he closes out a £60m move from Southampton - with Celtic due 10 per cent of the fee.

Celtic are set for a huge windfall as Liverpool look to have won the race to sign former Parkhead defender Virgil van Dijk in a record transfer deal.

The Reds will make Van Dijk the most expensive defender in football history after the Dutch international chose them ahead of Manchester City and Chelsea.

reporting reaching us is a £60million price tag on the star man's head, meaning the Hoops would pocket a £6million sell-on fee from the deal.

The Reds have declined to comment on any speculation surrounding the player but the Merseyside club are now in talks with Southampton over the fee.

And it's understood that Liverpool - who have so far yet to make an official offer to Saints - will stump up the bumper lot for the 25-year-old stopper.

An eventual contract could be worth £200,000 a week to Van Dijk.

The previous world record fee for a defender was the £50million Chelsea paid to bring David Luiz back to Stamford Bridge last summer.

Van Dijk has spent two past two months deliberating his future, after being informed that the three Premier League big guns were in a fight to sign him, with Arsenal also interested.

He has spoken to all three clubs, but even though Liverpool were considered as outsiders for his signature, they won the race because of the vision Klopp sold to the defender.

The German made clear Van Dijk would be the kingpin of his team, and he painted the same picture he offered to Philippe Coutinho - that the player could become an Anfield legend, with the chance to have statues built in his honour.

Klopp pointedly suggested that at Chelsea or City the Dutchman would be just another player fighting for a place, but at Liverpool he could become the ground-rock of the club's push back to the summit of the game.

It's thought discussions with Southampton will continue this week, and Liverpool hope to thrash out a deal that will secure Van Dijk's signature in the coming days.

Liverpool’s summer spending won’t stop there. They have already made a £27million offer for Roma’s Mohamed Salah, and after sealing the deal for Van Dijk, are likely to return in an attempt to thrash out a £35m agreement.

And they have also not given up hope on a spectacular £50million capture of Naby Keita, even though his club Red Bull Leizig insisted yesterday they will resist any offers for the Guinea international midfielder this summer.