That’s that.
In terms of Liverpool’s pursuit for Southampton defender Virgil Van Dijk, the most recent update was that the Saints had reported Liverpool to football’s authorities over an alleged illegal approach to the centre-half.
Earlier this week, several sources reported that Klopp was prepared to smash the Liverpool transfer record to bring the Dutchman to Anfield for a fee of £60m, and in doing so, making Van Dijk the most expensive defender in football history.
Given that the 25-year-old Dutch international only signed a new six-year contract at Southampton last year, having joined the South Coast club from Celtic in the summer of 2015, it was obvious that the Southampton see Van Dijk as a key part of his plans for the 2017/18 season.
Well, Saints  fans will be pleased to know that Liverpool have “ended any interest in the player.”
Earlier this evening, Liverpool released this statement:
“Liverpool Football Club would like to put on record our regret over recent media speculation regarding Southampton Football Club and player transfers between the two clubs. We apologise to the owner, board of directors and fans of Southampton for any misunderstanding regarding Virgil van Dijk. We respect Southampton’s position and can confirm we have ended any interest in the player.”
While Van Dijk’s future at St Mary’s isn’t 100% settled just yet, it’s clear that he won’t be playing his football at Anfield next season.
