IT’S OK YAYA FOR ANOTHER YEAR

SOUTHAMPTON have slapped a whopping £70million price tag on sought-after skipper Virgil van Dijk.

Liverpool and Manchester City are among the clubs battling to sign the Dutch centre-back.

But Saints are ready to play hardball to keep the ex-Celtic star (top), 25, who signed a six-year deal last summer. He missed the final four months of the season with an ankle injury.

Speaking last month, chairman Ralph Krueger said: “We do not need to sell any players.”

YAYA TOURE has signed on for another year at Manchester City.

The former Ivory Coast midfielder completed a remarkable rehabilitation at the club after being sent into exile for the first half of the season by boss Pep Guardiola in a row with agent Dimitri Seluk. Toure (right), 34, who has won six trophies with City, said: ”Remaining here is a massive, massive thing. It is a great club, going in the right direction.”

City have also agreed a world record fee to solve their goalkeeping crisis.

They will spend close to £35million for rising Brazil star Ederson Moraes (left), 23, though City are unable to officially confirm the deal until they have untangled a thirdparty ownership issue to the

Premier League’s satisfaction. His club Benfica revealed it is a world record for a keeper, eclipsing the £32.6m fee Juventus paid Parma for Gianluigi Buffon in 2001.

Although City have paid 40m euros for Ederson and Juve paid 53m euros for Buffon, the exchange rate means City are having to pay a record fee in sterling. NEWCASTLE’S bid to sign Pepe Reina has been boosted by Atletico Madrid’s transfer ban. The Spanish side had been ready to compete with Rafa Benitez’s club for the signing of the former Liverpool keeper. Reina, 34, is out of contract next year at Napoli and has requested a one-year extension. The Serie A club are reluctant to offer him a new deal, but the Magpies are ready to give Reina (above) a three-year contract and reunite him with his former Kop boss Benitez. EVERTON and Watford are leading the chase for Le Havre’s highly-rated left-back Ferland Mendy.

The 21-year-old defender (right), who has a year left on his contract with the Ligue 2 club in France, is valued at £3.5million.

But Goodison boss Ronald Koeman and new Hornets head coach Marco Silva face competition from French clubs Bordeaux and Marseille.