Southampton is not going to let Virgil Van Dijk go quietly into Liverpool.
Saints have been adamant they have no plans to sell the star center back, and are upset with the Reds apparent pursuit of their best player.
Van Dijk, 25, has been tipped to choose Liverpool over Man City and Chelsea, and Saints didn’t want to sell him in the first place. Reports say they aren’t happy at all.
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Southampton feels that Liverpool has taken the latest in a series of steps aimed at raiding St. Mary’s, as the Reds have purchased Adam Lallana, Sadio Mane, Nathaniel Clyne, and others from the South Coast set.
Liverpool has rejected the notion that it’s “tapped up” Van Dijk, and Yahoo’s Kevin Palmer says the club will aim to remedy its relationship with Saints.
The next move in this increasingly fractious transfer story is likely to come from Liverpool, who will look to assure Southampton that they have not held talks with Van Dijk over a move, before trying to find agreement on what may be one of the transfer stories of the summer.
Saints chairman Ralph Krueger made strong statements regarding the club’s lack of need to sell any players, in particular Van Dijk, this summer.
At the same time, turning down $65 million for a center back isn’t something you’ll see from many clubs in the world. If Van Dijk wants the move, expect it to get worked out before the end of summer.
In addition to being a veritable breeding ground for future Reds, Van Dijk and Southampton have been a thorn in Liverpool’s side on the pitch. This move would go a long way towards remedying the latter.
