Southampton reportedly want £55 million for Everton target Virgil van Dijk.
Everton manager Ronald Koeman
A report in the Liverpool Echo has suggested that Ronald Koeman has urged the Everton hierarchy to make a summer bid for Southampton defender Virgil van Dijk, despite his eye-watering asking price.
Van Dijk is arguably one of the most impressive centre-backs in the Premier League currently and is attracting plenty of attention, according to the Echo, including from his old boss at St Mary’s, Koeman.
However, the Echo suggests that a summer deal may be extremely difficult for the Toffees to pull off with Southampton digging their heels in and telling any interested club that it is going to take a bid of £55 million to tempt them into selling.
Though that price would represent an astronomical deal for Everton, some fans may argue that showing some major ambition in the transfer market is going to be crucial if they hope to close the gap and break into the top four in the Premier League.
The Toffees’ defence is arguably in need of more depth, and with the 25-year-old set to head into the best years of his career imminently, there are arguably few better options for the club to pursue.
Southampton’s Virgil van Dijk celebrates scoring
While Everton will have to compete with the likes of Manchester City and Chelsea for his signature, the Echo suggests that the fact that a move to Goodison Park would hand the Netherlands international the chance to work under Koeman again is likely to appeal to the former Celtic man, especially now the pair are represented by the same agency.
And although paying the full asking price may initially seem excessive – and it would perhaps be a surprise if Everton were willing to pay it – any deal would arguably start to seem like a good piece of business if he could help the Toffees move themselves to that next level.
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