Liverpool and Chelsea target Van Dijk hands in transfer request

 

Liverpool and Chelsea have been handed a huge boost in their attempts to sign Virgil van Dijk after the Southampton defender handed in a transfer request.

 

Van Dijk has been angling for a move away from Southampton all summer but Mauricio Pellegrino’s side have been adamant they will not be dictated to by player and agent.

 

The Netherlands international was heavily expected to join Liverpool at the start of the summer but Jurgen Klopp’s side were forced to pause their interest after Southampton discovered they’d approached their captain without permission.

 

Klopp only suggested this weekend that he wouldn’t look to sign another centre back this summer, but Van Dijk is doing everything in his power to leave Saint Mary’s after handing in a transfer request.

 

“It is with regret that I can confirm that I have today handed in a transfer request to leave Southampton Football Club,” Van Dijk wrote in an official statement released by journalist Henry Winter.

 

“Unfortunately I feel I have no alternative after I was given notice of the club’s intention to impose a disciplinary sanction against me of a fine equivalent to 2 weeks wages. I will be appealing what I feel to be an unjustified sanction and their inability to follow the correct disciplinary protocol in due course.

 

“Over the past six months I have held numerous discussions with representatives of the board, the former manager Claude Puel as well as the new manager Mauricio Pellegrino to inform them all of my desire to leave the club in search of a new challenge.

 

“I am incredibly ambitious and want to achieve as much as I possibly can to fulfil my potential in what is a very short career as a professional footballer. I want to play European football again and challenge for major honours and as such I would like Southampton to consider the interest in me from top clubs should it still exist.

 

“I have been left frustrated by the club’s position that I am not for sale and am disappointed that enquires from multiple top clubs have been consistently rebuffed.

 

“The period of time that I have just spent injured and unable to play has put a number of things into perspective and made me realise just how important it is to take major opportunities should they arise.

 

“I have consistently relayed my feelings to senior management at Southampton in what is believed to be private and personal conversations. Disappointingly, these conversations have regularly found their way into the media.

 

“I would also like to make clear that I have never once refused to train. I can confirm that I was asked about my frame of mind and for all the reasons mentioned above I was open and honest in saying that I did not feel I was in a settled mindset given the circumstances.

 

“Following this conversation the manager explained that he only wanted players who he felt were 100% committed to Southampton and told me I would therefore have to train away from the first team.”

 

 

Southampton now have a huge decision to make but this could all favour Chelsea, who are hopeful of taking advantage of the fact Pellegrino’s side do not want to do business with Liverpool despite the fact Van Dijk wants to work under Klopp.

 

Van Dijk only signed a new long-term deal with Southampton last summer and the south coast outfit will likely demand a world record fee for a defender if they decide to change their position in light of this news and sell the 26-year-old.

 

The towering Dutchman has established himself as one of the best defenders in the Premier League in the last two years and has won more WhoScored Man of the Match awards than any other defender in Europe’s top five leagues in that time (10).