Arsenal & Chelsea To Battle Liverpool For Signing Of Want-Away £60m Star

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, top clubs are lining-up to sign Virgil van Dijk….

Arsenal and Chelsea are among the clubs ready to do-battle with Liverpool for the signing of Virgil van Dijk if Southampton accept his transfer request, according to the Daily Mail.

Van Dijk’s future at St Mary’s has been the subject of much speculation all summer and an initial move to Liverpool was blocked after Southampton reported the Merseysiders to the Premier League for ‘tapping up’ the defender.

Jurgen Klopp’s men issued a public apology and vowed to end their pursuit of the Dutch international but the Reds are set to revive their interest after van Dijk handed in a formal transfer request.

The 26-year-old issued a statement yesterday confirming his desire to leave the south coast club after accusing the Saints of unjustly fining him two-weeks wages for allegedly refusing to train.

In the strongly worded statement, the former Celtic defender went on to say that he wants to leave Southampton in order to play European football again and is disappointed that enquiries from ‘multiple top clubs’ have been rejected.

Van Dijk is quoted as saying by the Daily Mail:

‘It is with regret that I can confirm I have today handed in a transfer request to leave Southampton Football Club. Unfortunately I feel I have no alternative after I was given notice of the Club’s intention to impose a disciplinary sanction against me of a fine equivalent to 2 weeks wages.

‘I will be appealing what I feel to be an unjustified sanction and their inability to follow the correct disciplinary protocol in due course.

‘I have been left frustrated by the club’s position that I am not for sale and am disappointed that enquiries from multiple top clubs have been consistently rebuffed.’

‘I’m an incredibly ambitious and want to achieve as much as I possibly can to fulfil my potential in what is a very short career as a professional footballer,’

‘I want to play European football again and challenge for major honours and as such I would like Southampton to consider the interest in me from top clubs should it still exist.”

Understandably, this news has alerted several top Premier League clubs and the Daily Mail claim that Arsenal and Chelsea are ready to battle-it-out with Liverpool over van Dijk’s signature if Southampton agree to do business this summer.

Liverpool remain the firm favourites as van Dijk is understood to be keen to play under Klopp at Anfield and the Express claim they are set to revive their attempts to secure a £60m deal.

However, there is no guarantee that Southampton will agree to sell to the Merseysiders given their turbulent relationship and it seems Arsenal and Chelsea are ready to offer van Dijk a move to London if his preferred switch to Liverpool doesn’t materialise.

Arsene Wenger could certainly do with a dominant centre-back to help turn Arsenal in to genuine title contenders and van Dijk would be a sensational signing if the north Londoners could lure him to the Emirates.

READ MORE –> Arsenal transfer news | Chelsea transfer news | Liverpool transfer news

However, Chelsea are also being tipped to formalise their interest in the Dutchman as Conte desperately tries to boost his squad ahead of their return to the Champions League and van Dijk could yet be tempted by a move to Stamford Bridge.

We’ll have to wait and see how Southampton respond to van Dijk’s transfer request but it will be a major coup for whichever club ends up buying him this summer as he’s arguably the best centre-back in the league right now.