Liverpool have moved decisively in their attempts to tighten up at the back, securing the reported £75million signing of Virgil van Dijk.
Southampton have finally been convinced to relinquish the Netherlands international, who saw a move to Anfield before the start of the season scuppered by accusations of tapping up.
Liverpool's defence is one of great statistical contradictions this term. No side has conceded as few goals at home as the Reds (three), but no side in the top seven has a larger overall tally in the against column than Jurgen Klopp's men.
Simon Mignolet, Dejan Lovren and Alberto Moreno have all come in for criticism under Klopp's stewardship, so can Van Dijk's capture really make the difference?
Since his £13m signing from Celtic in 2015, Van Dijk has started 66 Premier League games, helping the Saints to victory in almost 40 per cent of them (39.40 per cent).
By stark contrast, Southampton's win-rate plummets to 26.90 per cent in the 26 games in which he was not named from the start.
Whether Van Dijk can prove the difference in Liverpool's search for silverware remains to be seen, but there is enough evidence to suggest he should be a significant upgrade on the likes of Lovren, Joel Matip and Ragnar Klavan.
Lovren, though, at 86.25 per cent is one of the nine Premier League defenders to have recorded better rates of pass completion than Van Dijk's 84.03 per cent - perhaps giving Klopp cause for optimism as he looks to build from the back.
