Liverpool seemed to have given up on signing Virgil van Dijk from Southampton following an official complaint from the South Coast club. We have been extremely intent on signing a defender capable of plugging the holes at the back. The defence was one of the biggest issues for Jurgen Klopp last season, as the club conceded 42 goals.
Yet, the major setback with Van Dijk has set the tone in the transfer market with the Reds facing several disappointments so far. Dominic Solanke, Andy Robertson, and Mohamed Salah are the key arrivals for the club this summer. However, it appears that Van Dijk to Liverpool transfer may be back on the agenda, as the player is reportedly training on his own – after the South Coast club traveled to France leaving behind the defender. The News was confirmed by Liverpool Echo and BBC.
Van Dijk has reportedly informed Southampton that he wants to leave the club at any cost, after watching the club reject numerous offers from top clubs this summer. Since making the switch to Southampton in 2015 from Celtic, Van Dijk has grown into one of the top centre backs in the Premier league.
He signed a new contract only last year and it still has five years left to run. As a result, Southampton are in an extremely strong position when it comes to saying ‘no’ to an offer. Yet, Van Dijk is riding on the belief that Southampton would rather sell him than pay his wages for nothing.
New manager Mauricio Pellegrino has reportedly ordered the player to train alone after learning that he is not 100% ready to provide a commitment to the club. Pellegrino was appointed as the new Southampton coach only in the summer, and he already has had to face a mountain of issues with regard to keeping the star players. The 26-year-old defender has stayed at the club’s training ground while the rest of the squad have left to France for a pre-season tour. Southampton may seek a swift resolution in the hope of sorting out the squad before the start of the new season.
A player like Van Dijk being unhappy in the squad is not a good sign, but he can be a great asset for Liverpool – even at the reported £60 million price.
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