Chelsea step up interest in top Liverpool target

 

Chelsea are ready to lock horns with Liverpool the signature of Southampton defender Virgil van Dijk, reports The Daily Mirror.

 

The Premier League champions have already signed Roma defender Antonio Rudiger in a deal worth an initial £29m but have been interested in the Dutchman all summer.

 

Van Dijk has told Southampton he wants to leave this summer and is even prepared to go to the extreme of refusing to play in order to seal a move away from the club.

 

Mauricio Pellegrino was hopeful of convincing Van Dijk, who hasn’t played since suffering an ankle injury in January, to stay at the club but the 26-year-old is desperate to join Liverpool.

 

The Merseysiders were expected to sign Van Dijk earlier in the summer but were forced to put their interest on hold after Southampton discovered they had gone behind their backs and approached their captain without permission.

 

 

Despite the fact Van Dijk favours a move to Liverpool, Chelsea are hopeful of taking advantage of the fact Southampton do not want to do business with Klopp’s side and launch a £50m move for the Premier League ace.

 

Van Dijk has established himself as one of the best defenders in the Premier League in the last two years. In fact, he has won more WhoScored Man of the Match awards than any other defender in Europe’s top five leagues in that time (10).