Virgil van Dijk has reignited transfer rumours surrounding his future just one month after the summer transfer window closed, by telling the media he may leave in January instead.
This has naturally got Liverpool fans talking, but the reality is that van Dijk was desperate to sign between June and September and simply wasn’t allowed to by Southampton.
Unless they dramatically change their stance, it’s hard to see how the situation won’t be the same come the winter.
Respected Liverpool correspondent Dominic King explains the situation.
“Take the defence. The ambition this summer was to sign Virgil van Dijk and they would have shattered the record for a centre back but Southampton would not relent,” King writes in the Daily Mail.
“So Liverpool looked at other alternatives but they were happy to let Davinson Sanchez leave Ajax to join Tottenham and had no interest in paying the money Napoli wanted for Kalidou Koulibaly.
“If Southampton show willingness to do business in the future, Liverpool will move for Van Dijk in a heartbeat but, until then, Dejan Lovren and Joel Matip have his total backing.”
So there we have it.
Just because van Dijk is more vocal (and arguably, more unprofessional) about his desire to leave Southampton than Coutinho is about Liverpool, it doesn’t necessarily increase the chances of a transfer.
He’s back in the Saints team now and will continue at centre-back barring injury.
Will Liverpool really submit a £70m-odd bid in January?
Perhaps if Southampton openly state that they’re selling the 26-year-old, but we just can’t see it happening.
Our decision to not buy an alternative is already proving costly and could end up being season defining.