Report: Virgil van Dijk's Southampton exit could boost Celtic's Patrick Roberts hopes

Celtic want to convince Manchester City to sell Patrick Roberts this summer and a windfall from Virgil van Dijk’s Liverpool move will come in handy.

Celtic's Virgil van Dijk Virgil van Dijk

The stroke of inspiration which convinced Celtic to pay FC Groningen £2.6 million for a Dutch under-21 international by the name of Virgil Van Dijk in 2013 continues to shine down on the Bhoys, as reported by the BBC.

After all, while the rest of Europe’s top dogs were unwilling to take a chance on this thrilling yet flawed youngster, Celtic knew just what a talent they had on their hands.

As such, when Van Dijk graduated the Parkhead finishing school and migrated south of the border with Southampton two years ago, Celtic made sure to include a sell-on clause in his contract. This entitles the Scottish champions to 10 per cent of the money Saints would receive from a future sale, The Evening Times reports.

And that decision could be about to reap its rewards. According to The Standard, Liverpool are edging closer to a £60 million deal to sign arguably the best centre-back in the Premier League – a move that would make Van Dijk the most expensive defender in football history.

Southampton's Virgil van Dijk celebrates scoring their first goal

As a result, Celtic can celebrate a rather substantial windfall of £6 million. And, according to The Evening Times, they could use it to sign yet another star of the future.

The report claim that the Scottish treble winners made an offer of £5 million to sign Manchester City’s Patrick Roberts on a permanent basis after a superb 18-month loan spell in Glasgow.

Celtic's Patrick Roberts in action and manager Brendon Rodgers Celtic’s Patrick Roberts

City paid Fulham £12 million for the technically gifted winger two years ago and will only consider selling for a higher fee. Fortunately, that £6 million boost could give Celtic the cash injection they need for Brendan Rodgers to be reunited with his top summer target.

Consequently, it appears that Celtic will soon have a new record signing – 16 years after they paid Coventry City £6 million for a certain John Hartson (BBC).

John Hartson’s fee could be beaten