Chelsea lead race to sign £50m Van Dijk
Saints search for defensive replacement and may move for Liverpool’s Sakho
Chelsea have moved into pole position in the race for Southampton centre-half Virgil van Dijk, with the Saints considering Liverpool’s Mamadou Sakho as a replacement.
Van Dijk will be one of the most sought-after players this summer with his club anticipating bids in excess of £50 million (Dh231 million), which would eclipse any previous Premier League fee for a central defender. Southampton will certainly want more than the £47.5 million Manchester City paid Everton for John Stones last season.
City are the most realistic rivals to the current league leaders for Van Dijk’s signature. He will have his pick of Premier League clubs but at this stage Chelsea are leading the chase for the Dutchman. With John Terry unlikely to be offered a new contract at Stamford Bridge, a high-quality replacement is a priority.
Van Dijk has been absent since January with a foot injury and is struggling to play again this season. He may have played his last game for Southampton as the club are already planning to fill the void when the 25-year-old departs. Chelsea’s Nathan Ake could head in the opposite direction. He is valued at £15 million.
Liverpool’s Sakho — currently on loan at Crystal Palace — is another possible replacement. Southampton held discussions with Liverpool about a move for the 27-year-old in January but baulked at the £20 million price tag.
There was no purchase clause included in the loan arrangement with Palace, so if they want to sign the player permanently, they will have to join a summer auction or hope Sakho wants to stay at the club.
Reassess options
Several clubs appear to have been waiting to see how Sakho performed following his lengthy layoff, while the player also wanted a deal enabling him to reassess his options in the summer as he continues to rebuild his reputation after a troubled end to his Anfield career.
Napoli have also registered an interest with Liverpool for Sakho. They are expecting to lose their highly-rated centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly at the end of the season. Numerous Premier League clubs are keen on Koulibaly and Chelsea tried to sign him last summer but walked away when he was valued at £50 million.
Liverpool will also be seeking an additional centre-half this summer, but their chances of making Sakho a lightweight in deals for Van Dijk or Koulibaly are slim given the competition for their services and the huge fees.