Rio Ferdinand insists Nemanja Vidic NOT Virgil van Dijk is the greatest January transfer in Premier League history... as he explains why his former teammate should be ahead of the Dutchman

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Rio Ferdinand has insisted Nemanja Vidic, not Virgil van Dijk is the greatest January transfer window signing in Premier League history.

After three years at St Mary’s with Southampton, a £75m deal was struck for Van Dijk to join Liverpool in December 2017 with the defender arriving at Anfield the following month.

The Dutchman would quickly establish himself as an integral component of Jurgen Klopp’s side and played a starring role in his first full season as Liverpool defeated Tottenham to clinch the Champions League.

For his efforts that season the centre-back would be named both the PFA Players’ Player and UEFA’s Men’s Player of the Year award, becoming the first player from an English club to be named the latter in its current incarnation.

However, despite his accolades, Ferdinand insisted his former defensive partner represented a better January deal.

Rio Ferdinand named Nemanja Vidic as the Premier League’s greatest January transfer

The pair made 187 starts together at the heart of Manchester United’s defence

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‘Van Dijk is the best one. Nah Nemanja Vidic is the best one.’ The former England captain said on TNT Sports.

In finalising his choice, Ferdinand pointed to the relatively small fee United paid Spartak Moscow to secure the Serb’s services in the winter of 2005.

‘Vidic is the best one. Seven million. It’s a snip.’

Asked his thoughts about fellow pundit Martin Keown who also made a January switch when he first arrived in North London, Ferdinand called the former Arsenal star ‘great’.

Ferdinand noted the relatively low fee paid to sign Vidic put him ahead of Virgil van Dijk

When asked who he believed the greatest January deal to be Keown quipped: ‘I’ll pick myself. Rio would have done!’

In close to a decade at Old Trafford, Vidic would make 300 appearances in all competitions, captaining the club for nearly half his tenure.

The former Serbia international also won five Premier League titles and a Champions League with the club, and was twice named the Premier League Player of the Season.