Liverpool, Chelsea & Arsenal Set For Transfer Battle After £60m Star Demands Move

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

Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal are set for a £60m transfer battle after Virgil van Dijk demanded to leave Southampton during a series of rows last week, according to The Sun.

Van Dijk’s future at St Mary’s has been the subject of much speculation all summer as he’s been training away from the first team squad after handing in a formal transfer request earlier this month.

The Dutch international had been lined-up for a move to Liverpool back in June but that deal was derailed after Southampton reported the Reds to the Premier League for ‘tapping-up’ the defender.

Jurgen Klopp has maintained his interest as van Dijk is understood to favour a move to Anfield but Southampton are refusing to do business with the Merseysiders due to their conduct earlier in the summer.

The Saints insist they won’t sell the 26-year-old but The Sun claim van Dijk begged club officials to let him leave during a series of heated rows at the clubs Staplewood training base in recent days.

The newspaper says that Arsenal and Chelsea are ready to battle-it-out with Liverpool over a £60m deal if Southampton decide to relent and sell van Dijk before the window shuts on Thursday night.

Arsene Wenger could certainly do with a dominant defender like van Dijk to tighten his vulnerable defence and The Sun reported last week that the Gunners have held talks with the player and his agent over a move to the Emirates.

Obviously Arsenal can’t offer van Dijk Champions League football this season so that could put Chelsea in the driving seat if Southampton continue with their stance not to do business with Liverpool.

Antonio Conte is still hoping to further strengthen his squad before the end of the month and van Dijk would be a superb addition to the defending champions back-line if they could lure him to west London.

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We’ll have to wait and see how things develop over the coming days but Southampton would make a huge profit on the £11.5m they paid Celtic two years ago if they did sell.

Van Dijk clearly wants to leave so you could argue that the South Coast club should just cash-in instead of forcing an unhappy player to stay at the club – but I suppose you could say the same thing about the likes of Philippe Coutinho or Alexis Sanchez.