Virgil van Dijk has reportedly told current club Southampton that he wants to join Liverpool this summer and won’t consider a move elsewhere.
The 26-year-old Dutchman remains a priority target for Liverpool, despite the Reds publicly apologising to Southampton and saying they have ended their interest in him after being accused of tapping up the centre-back last month.
Klopp is seeking quality over quantity this summer, aiming to sign players who can immediately impact the first XI, and sees Van Dijk as a key player who can come in and do exactly that.
The German allegedly met with Van Dijk and discussed in detail what his role would be at Anfield.
And the player is reportedly so keen on a move to Merseyside that he has told Southampton he is only interested in a move to Liverpool and wants to play Champions League football.
The report explains how Southampton are now backed into a corner, saying:
New Saints boss Mauricio Pellegrino doesn’t want to keep unhappy players but Southampton have backed themselves into a corner.
Chelsea and Manchester United were both initially interested in van Dijk but Jose Mourinho has signed Swedish star Victor Lindelof from Benfica and Chelsea are closing on a deal for Roma’s German international Antonio Rudiger.
Meanwhile, it’s also claimed that “Van Dijk is understood to be devastated by the prospect of seeing his dream move to Anfield collapse and is refusing to speak to the media as he contemplates his next step.”
Van Dijk is said to be contemplating handing in a transfer request, and Liverpool will revive their interest if “circumstances change.”
The new season kicks off in five weeks, but the transfer window doesn’t close for another three weeks after that. It could be that this saga rumbles on well into August.
