In what can be termed as a blow to the potential suitors of the Dutch defender Virgil van Dijk, Southampton manager Claude Puel has clarified about the future of the player by claiming that the defender is not leaving Southampton any time soon.
The 25-year-old, who has impressed a host of clubs that include Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain has been tipped to make a big-money move in January by numerous sources. However, Southampton, who over the years have had to part ways with some of their best players for financial benefits do not seem inclined to sell the player and will demand a fee in excess of £50 million to let the defender leave.
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With great performances comes intense rumours, linking the player with other clubs in football and Van Dijk has been no exception. In light of the same, Puel was forced to clarify in a recent news conference that the former Celtic man is not leaving St. Mary’s for a few seasons at least.
The French manager was quoted as saying, "For Virgil, the price would be the same in two or three years and he can stay two or three years with us," he told a news conference on Friday. He's an important player for us, for the team, with a good spirit. For me, also, with Jose Fonte and Steven Davis, he is a captain of the team because he has a good personality, strong character, quality. He's an important player for us and of course he will stay with us."
The Netherlands international joined Southampton after impressing with Celtic and was one of the top performers for the side last season, when they achieved their highest Premier League position by finishing 6th and was duly awarded Southampton’s player of the season by fans.
In the current season, the player has been the bed-rock of Southampton’s defence as he has enforced his aerial dominance in games and has also mixed it up with crucial tackles, interceptions and blocks to help his side climb to the 7th spot in the Premier League table.
Van Dijk’s current contract with Southampton runs until the end of the 2022 season, making the situation even more complicated for the suitors of the player and sending the asking price for acquiring the services of the player even higher. However, nothing is impossible in the transfer market and we believe the statements made by Puel could be a simple tactic to further push the player’s price higher.
