Frank De Boer is one of the names that Southampton are considering as they look to replace Claude Puel.
Frank de Boer
According to Sky Sports, Frank De Boer is one of the names that Southampton are considering as they look to replace Claude Puel at St Mary’s.
And given De Boer’s stature in the game, he would surely be the kind of name that would give the Saints a better chance of keeping Virgil van Dijk at the club beyond the summer despite the considerable interest in the centre-back.
Sky Sports reported this month that Liverpool, Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal have all been linked with the former Celtic man following his fantastic spell on the south coast.
But with van Dijk under contract until 2022 (via club’s official website), it is surely only by the player voicing some kind of discontent and desire to leave that Southampton would need to consider letting him move on.
And perhaps it would be fair to suggest that appointing De Boer would give them a greater chance of keeping van Dijk happy.
Southampton’s Virgil van Dijk
De Boer is not only a countryman of the 25-year-old, but he is also the kind of marquee name – with a positive reputation from both his playing and managerial career – that may convince the defender that the club are still planning to move themselves up the Premier League table and battle on several other fronts.
And with De Boer arguably one of the finest Dutch defenders of his generation, he may perhaps be able to help van Dijk take his game to an even higher level.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
