Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino says Virgil van Dijk has proved value for money at Liverpool.

Pochettino has admitted his deep admiration for van Dijk - while appearing to send a coded to his chairman Daniel Levy - who last splashed out on a player over a year ago.

“It made a good point," Pochettino said. “When a team like Liverpool need to improve their team in a certain area, people said it was crazy to pay £70m for a centre-back.

“But Liverpool were right. They picked Van Dijk, because at that moment they believed he was the best centre-back in England who could make them better, and they were right.

“Some people said, 'Why would you pay £70m for a centre-back?' But the people who believed other things have now been shown that Liverpool were right.

“If you are going to sign the player who is going to improve your team, then it is not a lot of money.

“Because when you consider what it means to win a Champions League or a Premier League, it is cheaper to spend this type of money."