Former Liverpool striker John Aldridge says Virgil van Dijk should refuse to play for Southampton to force transfer.
Southampton’s Virgil van Dijk celebrates scoring their first goal
Liverpool legend John Aldridge has advised Virgil van Dijk to go on strike if he wants to force a transfer away from Southampton this summer.
Van Dijk has attracted plenty of interest in recent times and not only with the Reds, with talkSPORT reporting that Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United have all considered a move.
The Merseysiders ended their own pursuit after an official complaint from the Saints to the Premier League about their approach for the Dutchman, but Aldridge doesn’t think that should put them off.
“Players and their agents hold all the power these days and if he says he won’t kick another ball for Southampton and demands a move, it will happen,” the former striker, who won the First Division title and FA Cup with Liverpool, told the Mirror.
“Tapping up goes on all the time in the game and even if Liverpool went a bit far in their pursuit of Van Dijk before they spoke to Southampton, I don’t believe this transfer story is dead in the water.
“Van Dijk needs to make the next move and I reckon he will tell Southampton that he wants out and he wants to go to Liverpool.
“I don’t like the way the game has gone in some ways and players can hold clubs to ransom if they want a move and big money offers are coming in, but that is the way of the world now.
“I still see this transfer happening one way or the other and I certainly hope it does because I’d like to have seen a little more movement from Liverpool in the transfer market this summer.”
John Aldridge of Local Legends
The Guardian reported earlier this month that Anfield was Van Dijk’s preferred destination and the club was prepared to spend up to £60m to sign the centre-back.
Juergen Klopp is keen to improve his defence and in order to ward off City’s advances they also sanctioned a contract offer of £200,000-a-week for the 25-year-old.
Van Dijk has been at St Mary’s for two years after joining from Celtic and the Netherlands international has since played 68 times in all competitions for the Hampshire club.
Leicester City’s Riyad Mahrez in action with Southampton’s Oriol Romeu and Virgil van Dijk
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