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."
This is a sad end to a story that had taken a turn for the worst when Southampton reported Liverpool to the FA accusing them of tapping-up Van Dijk.
He would have been a valuable addition to our porous defence,
the search continues.
Liverpool Football Club have released a statement ending their widely publicized interest in Southampton defender Virgil Van Dijk:
"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.
