Virgil Van Dijk has reportedly held showdown talks with Southampton as the defender is becoming increasingly desperate to join Liverpool
According to a report by The Sun, Virgil Van Dijk is eager to seal the deal to join Liverpool this summer, and the defender will hold showdown talks with Southampton to complete his move before the summer transfer window slams shut.
Van Dijk, who is valued at £60 million, has been a Liverpool target for months but a deal has failed to materialize so far. The defender is a hot target this summer with quite a number of big clubs keen on obtaining his signature.
Although Southampton manager Mauricio Pellegrino is aware of the fact that this could be a good opportunity to cash in on Van Dijk, it is believed that he is hesitant to let the star defender leave.
Recent reports have suggested that Pellegrino is eyeing Wesley Hoedt from Lazio as an alternative, but his first priority appears to be in trying his best to retain the want-away star.
It comes as no surprise that the Saints are reluctant to let Van Dijk leave. He has been the strongest part of Southampton’s back-line ever since he made his way into the club from Celtic back in the summer of 2015. His performances have established himself as one of the best defenders in the English top flight.
Jurgen Klopp has been keen to secure his services for a while now, with the Reds boss struggling to find a dependable partner for Joel Matip. Dejan Lovren and Ragnar Klavan have failed to put up consistent performances which makes it clear that Liverpool need a quality central defender this summer.
Additionally, Van Dijk is quite strong when it comes to aerial challenges and that can potentially be an asset for Klopp’s side which has often struggled in set piece situations, with Lovren, Klavan and even Matip often being mediocre in the air.
Signing Van Dijk can definitely address the problem, which goes to show that a deal could prove to be a good piece of business by the Merseyside club. Having said that, it remains to be seen if the highly sought-after defender is successful in exiting Southampton with the club determined to retain him.
