Axed Star Determined To Join Liverpool As Reds Prepare Record £60m Bid

Managers are now pressing ahead with their plans for the summer transfer window so we’ll bring you all the latest news and gossip from around the globe. Today, the latest on Liverpool’s pursuit of Virgil van Dijk…

Virgil van Dijk has been left out of Southampton’s pre-season tour squad and is determined to join Liverpool as the Reds prepare a £60m offer for the defender, according to a report in the Express.

Jurgen Klopp has been chasing van Dijk all summer after making the Dutch international one of his prime transfer targets and a move initially looked on the cards after the player snubbed interest from several other clubs to opt for a switch to Anfield.

The proposed move was derailed when Southampton reported Liverpool to the FA for allegedly ‘tapping-up’ the defender and the Reds were forced to end their pursuit after issuing a public apology.

However, Klopp’s hopes of landing van Dijk were revived after the centre-back told the Saints he wanted to leave earlier this month and boss Mauricio Pellegrino confirmed last week the player had been training alone.

The situation has now gotten even more serious as van Dijk has been left out of the Southampton squad for their pre-season training camp in France as he looks to resolve his future.

The Express claim the 26-year-old is determined to join Liverpool and the newspaper suggests the Merseysiders are ready to test Southampton’s resolve with a club record £60m offer.

It would be extremely difficult for the south coast club to reject such a bid for their unsettled captain so a move to Anfield could be on the cards if Liverpool do make their interest official over the coming days.

However, contrary to the Express’s report, the Mirror claim that Liverpool won’t table any formal bid unless Southampton make it clear they are now willing to do business as they don’t want to ruin their newly-formed relationship following high-level peace talks between the two clubs.

READ MORE –> Liverpool transfer news

It’s certainly going to be interesting to see how this all plays out but van Dijk has made his intentions clear and it’s rare a player doesn’t get what he wants when he effectively goes on strike and hands in an informal transfer request.

I think we’ll see the Dutchman complete his move to Anfield over the coming weeks and he’ll be a superb addition to Klopp’s squad as van Dijk has developed in to arguably the best centre-back in the Premier League over the past two years.