A number of players from the south-coast have joined Liverpool in the last few years. If rumours are to be believed, Liverpool are leading the race to sign defender Virgil van Dijk. Sadio Mane was the last player to make the switch from Southampton to Liverpool. His transfer in the summer for around £34 million has been lauded, as the Senegalese forward has become one of the best players at the club rather quickly. Now, it appears that Liverpool are preparing to make yet another signing from the St Mary’s stadium.
Virgil van Dijk has been rumoured to leave Southampton for quite a while, with the likes of Manchester United, Chelsea, and Manchester City also showing their interest. Van Dijk, though, is understood to be favouring a move to Anfield, as he is extremely confident of club achieving a lot of success under the management of Jurgen Klopp. This season may be fast turning it into a disaster for the club, but it has only been on the back of two months of poor performances. Klopp was being lauded for transforming Liverpool – without spending a lot of money – only towards the end of 2016.
However, his decision to rest key players for the cup competitions like the FA Cup and the League Cup have come back to bite him. This coupled with Mane leaving the club for the African Cup of Nations proved decisive, as Liverpool struggled to have the same kind of threat without the forward. More than the player’s performance, it is believed that Southampton are also keen to do business with Liverpool rather than with the likes of Manchester United. Even though United brought in Luke Shaw from the south coast a few years ago, the numerous dealings with Liverpool in the last couple of years for the transfers of players like Dejan Lovren, Adam Lallana, Nathan Clyne, and Rickie Lambert appears to have done the trick.
Sky Sports pundit David Prutton is of the opinion that a move to Anfield would suit all parties. He said:
“If you’re one of Manchester United, Manchester City, Tottenham, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool you’d be foolish not to look at him.
“Liverpool obviously have a good dialogue and a business relationship with Southampton, although I wouldn’t say that puts them at the front of the queue. You’d think from a business point of view, it probably gives them a head start when it comes to building a rapport and business relationship.
“But the most important word there is business. Liverpool would want to get him for the right price – and Southampton will want as much as they can get.”
Virgil van Dijk is currently on the treatment table after recently he suffered a long-term injury. He may have very well played his last game for the club. Just before the January transfer window came to a conclusion, Virgil van Dijk was valued in excess of £25 million by Southampton. His recent injury could see the player’s valuation remain the same even in the summer. The 25-year-old has a contract with Southampton until the summer of 2022.
