Sky report delivers update on Liverpool pursuit of Van Dijk that will delight supporters
Liverpool are expected to complete the signing of Virgil van Dijk by the end of next month, according to a report.
Sky Sports claim on their website that the Merseyside giants are on course to prise the centre-back from Southampton despite publicly bowing out of the race to sign him.
It is said that “a source close to Van Dijk expects him to be a Liverpool player by the end of the window” in an update that will delight fans of the club.
Liverpool issued a public apology to the Saints last month and withdrew from their pursuit of the giant defender after being reported to the Premier League over an illegal approach.
Officials from St Mary’s Stadium suspected that the media had been briefed by Liverpool sources at the start of last month that a deal was likely and also claimed to have evidence that manager Jurgen Klopp had privately met with van Dijk.
Southampton have not withdrawn their complaint, but accepted an apology from Liverpool and no further action was taken.
However, Sky report that Van Dijk still has his heart set on a move to Anfield despite competing interest from Chelsea and Manchester City.
He has not gone on a Southampton training camp in France in an apparent attempt to engineer a move.
Van Dijk, who is widely regarded as one of the outstanding players in his position in the Premier League, signed a new Saints contract last summer that runs until the summer of 2022.
Football Insider verdict:
Given Van Dijk’s absence from Southampton’s training camp and the noises emanating from those close to him, it is clear that his move to Liverpool is not dead in the water. Far from it. Chelsea and Man City offer potential other destinations, but, crucially, the player’s current stance is that he will only be satisfied with a transfer to Anfield. That gives Liverpool hope they can still pull off a deal that would solve their need for a commanding centre-back, and would sent their fanbase – desperate to see Jurgen Klopp assemble a squad capable of mounting an extended title challenge – into meltdown.