Chelsea Hoping To Beat Liverpool To £60m Star As Conte Plots Late Triple Swoop

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

Chelsea hope to beat Liverpool to the signing of Virgil van Dijk if Southampton agree to cash-in on the £60m defender as Antonio Conte looks to bring in three players before the end of the month, according to the Telegraph.

Conte has made no secret of his desire to further strengthen his squad before the window shuts as he knows his current group isn’t strong enough to compete on all fronts this season.

The Telegraph claim Chelsea director Marina Granovskaia will meet with agents this week as the club look to secure at least three targets before the window slams shut and the Blues are still hoping to land van Dijk.

The Dutch international’s future remains in serious doubt as he’s still training away from the rest of the Southampton squad after handing in a formal transfer request earlier this month having expressed his desire to play for a bigger club.

Liverpool remain interested despite being forced to issue a public apology after Southampton reported them to the Premier League for tapping-up the centre-back in June but Yahoo Sports reported last week that the Saints were determined not to do business with the Merseysiders.

It seems Chelsea are hoping to use a more discrete tactic in their bid to land van Dijk as the Telegraph say they have made it clear to Southampton they are interested in signing the £60m-rated star but only if they are prepared to sell.

The newspaper says Chelsea hope this soft approach will put them in pole position ahead of Liverpool to sign the 26-year-old if the south coast club eventually change their stance and agree to do business.

The duo’s hopes were boosted after Southampton agreed a deal with Lazio to sign centre-back Wesley Hoedt as the player could be viewed as a potential replacement for van Dijk, but it remains to be seen whether the St Mary’s outfit will sell their star man this summer.

Van Dijk could be one of several new arrivals at Stamford Bridge over the coming days as the Telegraph say Conte wants at least new arrivals with Danny Drinkwater, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Ross Barkley, Cedric Soares, Antonio Candreva, Serge Aurier and Alex Sandro all named as potential targets.

The Italian coach has also not ruled out signing another striker with the newspaper saying that Conte has shown an interest in Fernando Llorente, Christian Benteke, Jamie Vardy and Andrea Belotti in recent weeks.

READ MORE –> Chelsea transfer news | Liverpool transfer news

It’s certainly going to be an exciting final 10 days of the transfer window for Chelsea fans as Conte gears-up for a late spending spree but we’ll have to wait and see which of his targets he manages to land.