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Former Liverpool man Glen Johnson has chimed in on the raging comparisons between Virgil van Dijk and Manchester United legend Nemanja Vidic. Highlighting each man's strengths and weaknesses, Johnson explained why he considers Van Dijk one of the best defenders in Premier League history.
Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher recently brewed controversy by calling Van Dijk a 'miles better' defender than Manchester United icon Vidic. He also said that the Serb was all over the place against former Reds striker Fernando Torres.
Rio Ferdinand, Vidic’s former centre-back partner at Manchester United, has responded, saying that Vidic’s struggles against Torres, who only scored thrice in 15 games against him, are a 'myth'.
Johnson has now put his two cents into the conversation, calling Van Dijk more complete than the former Manchester United defender, telling Betfred:
“On his day, it’s hard to claim that many defenders are, or were, better than Virgil. (Nemanja) Vidic was a top defender, but he was more of an out-and-out defender. He wasn’t brilliant on the ball, but he could win it back for fun and just play it to his teammates who were better at distributing the ball. That’s what he was good at.
“Virgil is completely different. He makes defending look so easy, as he’s always in the right position. He’s not just a big lump; he’s super composed and really good with his feet. On top of that, he’s an excellent defender, and I don’t believe there have been many defenders in the Premier League era who have been better than Virgil. He’s definitely one of the best centre-backs of all time.”
Vidic spent eight years at Manchester United between 2006 and 2014, winning five Premier League and one Champions League, amongst other honours. Van Dijk, too, has been sensational for Liverpool, bagging one Premier League and one Champions League since arriving from Southampton in 2018.
Liverpool pull out of Jude Bellingham race
According to the Guardian, Liverpool are no longer pursuing Borussia Dortmund star and long-time target Jude Bellingham. The Reds reportedly do not have the financial means to complete the transfer this summer.
It has been reported that Borussia Dortmund want a whopping £135 million plus add-ons for their prized possession. The upfront fee, alongside the player’s wages and agents’ commissions, have made the deal financially infeasible for Liverpool. Club owners believe that the funds would be better used elsewhere.
Real Madrid, Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City are believed to be interested in the 19-year-old midfielder.
