Chelsea are reportedly set to rival Manchester City and Liverpool in pursuit of Southampton defender Virgil Van Dijk in the summer.
According to a report in The Independent, Virgil Van Dijk is a priority summer target for Chelsea. The newly-crowned Premier League champions are set to battle Manchester City and Liverpool for the Dutch defender when the transfer window opens in June.
Van Dijk took no time to establish himself as one of the most dependable defenders in the Premier League, and has been an instrumental figure for Southampton for the better part of the last two campaigns.
The defender has made an impression with his ability to read the game well, while also proving to be adept in aerial situations – defensive and offensive. As a result, Van Dijk has some of the best clubs in the Premier League vying for his signature.
Van Dijk is one of Chelsea’s primary targets for a busy summer that sees Conte looking to bring in at least six new signings. (Independent) pic.twitter.com/REYE4PjISQ
— ️ (@ContehoIic) May 16, 2017
Among these, the three clubs that are at the head of the queue are Chelsea, Manchester City and Liverpool, with all three biggies set to battle hard to land him in the summer.
At Stamford Bridge, Antonio Conte has had some ground breaking success with his system that employs a three-man central defence. However, the Italian manager does not have a wealth of options to choose from, especially with Chelsea captain John Terry set to leave the club at the end of the season.
Terry’s departure would leave Conte with the inexperienced duo of Kurt Zouma and Nathan Ake at his disposal apart from his first-choice options. With promising defender Andreas Christensen’s future at SW6 up in the air, there is an urgent need for the Chelsea boss to bolster his options.
That’s why he has set his sights on Van Dijk, making the defender one of his primary targets for the summer transfer window. Meanwhile, at Manchester City, defence has been a major area of concern for Pep Guardiola, whose men have looked susceptible at the back.
John Stones has struggled to settle quickly at the Etihad Stadium, Nicolas Otamendi has blown hot and cold throughout the campaign and captain Vincent Kompany has been troubled by a spate of injuries.
Thus, the need to sign a top quality centre-back couldn’t be more apparent, which is why Van Dijk has emerged as a viable target to pursue. However, Liverpool are just as keen to sign a centre-back as City and Chelsea, and will fight tooth and nail to land the Dutchman.
Like City, Liverpool’s bid to contest for the Premier League title has failed in large part due to their inconsistent performances in defence. While summer signing Joel Matip has been a top notch addition in Jurgen Klopp’s squad, Dejan Lovren has been unimpressive while Ragnar Klavan is, at best, a squad option.
As a result, the Liverpool boss is eager to find a more reliable partner for the Cameroonian, and he has reportedly identified Van Dijk as a target. Despite widespread interest in their captain, Southampton’s stance on the whole situation is clear – the club will not sell Van Dijk at any cost.
The report by The Independent, though, suggests that Chelsea have an edge over City and Liverpool as there is a growing belief that Van Dijk prefers a summer switch to Stamford Bridge.
It now remains to be seen if Southampton can be tempted to let go of the player, and if City and Liverpool can do something to steal a march on Chelsea.
