Virgil van Dijk will again actively pursue a Southampton exit as soon as the transfer window opens, reports Paul Joyce in the Times.
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The respected correspondent has confirmed that despite the Dutchman getting back into Mauricio Pellegrino’s starting XI, he still wants out as soon as possible and is not happy at the club who refused him his Liverpool transfer over the summer.
Liverpool were ready to make van Dijk the most expensive defender in football history at £70m, but the Saints wouldn’t sway.
Whether they’ll have a change of heart by the winter is anyone’s guess, but the player’s latest comments are very easy to interpret.
“I wanted to go one step up, but Southampton did not want to let me go,” he said, following his return to the team at the weekend. “You’re a professional, so now I’ll give everything to the club. Halfway through the season, maybe we can see what’s possible.”
Liverpool’s need for van Dijk is perhaps greater than we ever imagined. Since the start of the campaign, we’ve let in 20 goals in all competitions from 12 matches.
You can’t win anything if you’re conceding an average of almost two games per game.