Liverpool have been keeping an out for quality defenders owning to their porous defence this season and Virgil van Dijk has been one player that has caught their attention. There have been a number of rumours stating that the Reds will be looking to bring the Dutch star to their side in the winter window but Southampton are reportedly looking to keep hold of the 25-year-old.
Van Dijk joined the Saints last season and has only gone from strength to strength in the league. With Southampton looking to return to the Europa League at least next season, they would want to keep hold of one of their prized assets.
Claude Puel wouldn’t want to lose his star defender on the cheap and Squawka.com reports that the side have put a £45 million price tag on the 25-year-old. The Saints had only paid 1/3rd of that amount when they signed Van Dijk from Celtic last season and it certainly would be a great return for their investment.
A big battle on the way to sign Van Dijk
It isn’t just Liverpool looking to sign the Dutch defender this season. Manchester City and Chelsea are also looking to add more quality to their defence. The Citizens might have brought in a decent defender in John Stones but the Englishman hasn’t had the best of seasons and has made more than a few mistakes this season.
Chelsea are looking for a John Terry replacement and even though Antonio Conte has turned the fortunes of the club around, they would need to keep the good work going and Van Dijk is seen as one possible option for the Blues.
Liverpool, for their part, need to bring in someone who isn’t prone to making too many mistakes throughout the season. After spending a season with Southampton and proving that he can play in the Premier League, it isn’t a surprise that many clubs are after his signature.
The 25-year-old is also wanting a move away from Southampton to a bigger club and his move might come sooner rather than later. The former Celtic defender is on a bit of a roll and is in the best form of his career.
Southampton would want to cash in on him, there is no doubt about that but his value would be greatly increased come the end of the season rather than now. None of the clubs stated need to sign someone up as an urgent transfer.
That could change should a player get injured but from all the clubs listed, it is Liverpool and City that need someone to shore up the defence the most. It will be a big battle in the summer certainly and Van Dijk will be high on the wish list of many clubs.
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