Jurgen Klopp insists Liverpool’s defenders should not fear for their futures ahead of Virgil van Dijk’s arrival.
Van Dijk watched the Reds’ 2-1 over Leicester City on Saturday ahead of his impending £75 million move from Southampton on January 1.
That price tag elevated the Dutch centre-back to the world’s most expensive defender and is likely to ensure he is a regular in the Anfield backline.
But Klopp has moved to reassure Dejan Lovren, Joel Matip and Dejan Lovren that no player should see Van Dijk’s signing as a negative for their futures.
He said: “That’s part of professional football.
“The really good players will always say that the challenge with other players for a position in the team will always help you.
“We cannot go in a season with two centre-halves and hope nothing happens. The third one is already logical and if you have a fourth one then it’s even better.
“I don’t think the boys were nervous. I couldn’t see anything like that.
“They don’t have any reason to be nervous because I’m really happy with the development of these players.
“But we have to obviously fight and battle with the biggest teams in world football, so we cannot go there with a group of 11 and being best friends every day.”