Liverpool's £75 million man Virgil van Dijk is an inferior defender to Sol Bamba, according to Cardiff City manager Neil Warnock.
Netherlands centre-back Van Dijk will become the most expensive defender in history when he completes his move from Southampton to Anfield on January 1, with his reported fee immediately sparking frenzied debate.
Cardiff boss Warnock, whose side lie third in the Championship as they chase promotion to the top flight, added an unexpected strand to the conversation by claiming the 32-year-old and well-travelled Bamba is better in terms of pure defending.
"I think Sol Bamba is slightly better than Van Dijk, defensive-wise," he said.