A January move for Virgil van Dijk seems inevitable with Manchester United, Liverpool, Manchester City and Everton all set to battle for the Southampton centre-back.
- By Michael Bell
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Jaap Stam remains Netherlands most expensive defender, having moved from Manchester United to Lazio for £15.3 million in 2001, but that record is likely to be broken next month.
According to De Telegraaf, Van Dijk may have a £25 million release clause in his Southampton contract and several clubs are more than willing to pay that fee. Manchester City, Chelsea, Manchester United and Liverpool have all been watching the defender for months, while a reunion with former coach Ronald Koeman at Everton is also an option with the club’s wealthy owners more than capable of bankrolling a big transfer.
The former Groningen and Celtic star has developed rapidly with Southampton since joining the club in 2015 and is considered to be one of the best centre-backs in the Premier League by several pundits.
Sky Sports Jamie Redknapp has been impressed by the Dutchman, “Van Dijk is the ideal modern central defender. He would fit in with Barcelona or Real Madrid. He is good enough.”
Former Arsenal midfielder Paul Merson also thinks van Dijk can settle the Premier League title race, “For me, I think if Liverpool get together and go and buy Van Dijk for £50million in January, they will take some beating,”
His statistics from this season back up these claim, with the 25-year-old making on average 7 clearances, and 2.7 interceptions per game, while he wins 4.6 aerial challenges and has a pass accuracy of 84%. Those stats put him up there with any other centre-back in England, despite van Dijk playing at the club currently sitting 12th in the league table.
It has been a while since a Dutch defender caused such a transfer frenzy, but van Dijk is set to be the most coveted signing in January and whichever club wins the race, will get themselves a £25 million bargain.
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Isn’t he under a long term contract? If that’s the case, why doesn’t Southampton just start a bidding war after the season is over? In today over-inflated transfer market, they surely can get a lot more than 25 million pounds for VVD next summer?