Southampton have reportedly slapped a whopping £70 million price tag on Virgil van Dijk, as Liverpool continue to retain an interest in the player.
According to an exclusive report in the Daily Express, Liverpool have been told to cough up £70 million in order to secure the services of Virgil van Dijk. The Reds are now set to battle Chelsea in pursuit of the Southampton defender in the summer transfer window.
Van Dijk has been the bedrock of Southampton’s defence ever since he made his way to the Premier League from Celtic in the summer of 2015. So much so, that he is widely regarded as one of the best defenders in the English top flight, as a result of which he has seen suitors lining up for his signature in recent months.
Of these, Liverpool and Chelsea are believed to be the front-runners in the race to sign him this summer. The Reds, in fact, have only recently revived their interest in van Dijk after they were forced to back off following a warning from the Premier League for the manner in which they courted the player.
Southampton warned Liverpool, they must pay £70 million if they want Virgil van Dijk.
( Src: The Express ) #HalaFootball pic.twitter.com/2HLqHJfIca— Hala Transfer News (@HalaTransfers) June 24, 2017
The aforementioned incident ended with Liverpool apologising to Southampton, and it was thought that the club’s interest in the 25-year-old had officially ended. But, the report claims that the Reds are back in the hunt for van Dijk with Jurgen Klopp keen to secure his services.
The Liverpool boss is currently struggling to find a reliable partner for Joel Matip, who was a solid addition to the side. With Dejan Lovren and Ragnar Klavan failing to produce consistent displays, a quality central defender is an urgent need that needs to be addressed at Anfield.
Van Dijk, with his prowess in the air can potentially be an asset for a side that has often struggled in set piece situations. Moreover, his astute reading of the game is bound to add solidity to Liverpool’s back-line.
Chelsea, though, are standing toe to toe with Liverpool in the race for van Dijk, with Antonio Conte eager to bolster his central defensive options. The Italian tactician currently has little to choose from beyond his first-choice defenders – Cesar Azpilicueta, David Luiz and Gary Cahill.
Apart from the trio, Kurt Zouma and Nathan Ake are Conte’s only other options, and the duo are being heavily linked with summer exits from Stamford Bridge. Moreover, the future of Andreas Christensen, who is returning from his loan spell at Borussia Monchengladbach, is also up in the air.
Hence, the Chelsea boss, too, is looking for a quality central defender, with van Dijk a top target. Van Dijk can potentially provide similar value that David Luiz has with his qualities on the ball, while at the same time being a long-term option for Conte at 25, with Cahill on the wrong side of 30.
However, it is believed that the player favours a move to Liverpool instead of Chelsea, leaving the Premier League champions with a sizable task on their hands to persuade him to choose a move to West London instead.
Meanwhile, Southampton have slapped a staggering £70 million price tag on van Dijk, as they attempt to do everything that they can to keep hold of the player. It now remains to be seen if either club is willing to shell out the aforementioned amount, as the race to sign the player heats up.
