Manchester City have been linked with another mega-money move for a defender as their Premier League form continues to waiver.
British media outlet, The Mirror, reports that City are prepared to go again a seemingly black hole of defensive reinforcements.
Southampton want £40million for Manchester City target Virgil van Dijk as Claude Puel denies buyout clause claim
Eliaquim Mangala, Nicolas Otamendi and John Stones have been bought for huge amounts of money in recent times but this still hasn’t left everyone convinced about Manchester City’s back line.
And although the fee mooted is huge, Van Dijk does seem to tick all the boxes for a top Premier League defender.
He has power and aerial presence, but he is also great on the ground and is one of the coolest defenders in the league.
The 25-year-old made his debut for Holland last year and has since cemented his place in the squad with 12 caps. He moved from Celtic to Southampton in 2015 and many felt that he would struggle to adapt to the change in quality.
But Van Dijk took to the new league like a duck to water and looks as if he could fit in to any team in Europe.
He’s a great age and it looks increasingly unlikely that The Saints will be able to hold on to him long-term.
But they will demand a small ransom for the player if he is to leave as he signed a six year deal at the club in the summer. His manager Claude Puel is quoted by the same source as saying:
“After this I make no comment about speculation, just to say that Virgil is an important player for the team. For me it’s not a possibility to see him leave.”
Let’s see some of his career highlights. Manchester City fans: is Van Dijk the right calibre of player for the club or is he no better than what you already have?