That’s the opinion of Charlie Nicholas who thinks the Reds should ave had alternatives in mind.

Liverpool missed out on Van Dijk despite their summer long pursuit of the Dutch defender.

The Reds were even accused by Saints of tapping up their star man.

But in the end Van Dijk was made to stay at Southampton even after he handed a transfer request into the club.

“If you were persistent in trying to get Van Dijk, why weren’t you as persistent in getting somebody else knowing that you aren’t going to get him?” he told Sky Sports.

“He’s committed to saying ‘I know I need to get somebody better in which is the right ingredient’.

“But he knows he’s not getting him, why doesn’t he (go for someone else)?

“There was nothing there.”

Van Dijk made his return for Southampton today as a substitute in the win over Crystal Palace.

Liverpool’s current central defensive options are Joel Matip, Dejan Lovren and Ragnar Klavan.