Southampton want £70m for Virgil van Dijk as Liverpool and Manchester City close in.
Southampton’s Virgil van Dijk reacts
According to the Sun, Southampton have told interested parties that it will cost £70m to sign Virgil van Dijk from St Mary’s this summer.
Whether the Saints receive that or not remains to be seen, but it does look like the centre-back’s time in Hampshire is quickly coming to an end, with either Liverpool or Manchester City his most likely destination.
Yet which Champions League club would suit Van Dijk better?
Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp
Liverpool
Reds manager Juergen Klopp has very particular ideas about how his teams should play and has tried to implement his famous ‘gegenpressing’ tactics at Anfield; with varying success.
Van Dijk is strong and powerful and certainly has the fitness to compete in this high intensity style, yet his tendency to switch off could become a problem when Liverpool play such a high line when trying to win the ball back.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola
Manchester City
Like Klopp, Pep Guardiola has a clear ideology when it comes to football and everyone in his team from the goalkeeper forwards has to be comfortable in possession.
This would not be a problem for Van Dijk, who is good on the ball, while the 25-year-old’s ability to win aerial duels and physical presence puts him in a similar mould to another Guardiola favourite – Barcelona’s Gerard Pique.
They may already have several options, but the Dutchman could well be the long-term solution to replacing captain Vincent Kompany at the Etihad Stadium.
Southampton’s Virgil van Dijk celebrates scoring their first goal
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