Manchester United are set to be handed a huge boost in their race to bring Southampton defender Virgil van Dijk to Old Trafford after rival manager Pep Guardiola denied Manchester City’s interests in signing the player. Van Dijk has been in terrific form this season and has attracted interest from almost all the top clubs in England but Jose Mourinho and United are said to be leading the race for the defender.
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The player is reportedly valued at around £50 million by his current club and will look at nothing less than that if they decide to let him go.
“He is not going to come here – it is impossible,” Guardiola said. “At this stage I don’t think we will be buying anyone in January but that could change over the next few weeks. We might need to strengthen in one position, maybe a full-back, but right now I have no immediate plans.”
Guardiola also added that he is happy with John Stones and that he isn’t currently looking to replace the player soon. “John will improve; if I didn’t have confidence in him he would not have played the number of games he has,” the City manager said. “The only way you can improve as a footballer is to play, play and play. At the moment John is working hard in training so he will be fit and prepared when I decide he’s going to play again.“
Mourinho, on the other hand, is looking to address his problems at the back especially with Eric Bailly gearing up to leave for the AFCON next month. United have had several problems trying to find the perfect combination at the back and with the imminent exit of Marcus Rojo on the cards, they are sure to look for reinforcements in January.
Victor Lindelof’s move hitting a snag in the last moment could also force Mourinho to act quickly as Van Dijk is sure to attract interest from several clubs from Europe.
However, Southampton manager Claude Puel said that there is no emergency to sell the Dutch defender in January. "I think, for example, for Virgil the price will be the same in two or three years," said the Saints boss. "He can stay for two or three years with us. He's an important player for the team.
“Also, along with Jose Fonte and Steven Davis, he is a captain of the team. He has a good personality, strong character, quality, and of course he will stay with us."
United take on Sunderland tonight and will be looking to keep up their pursuit for a top four finish.
