Players join campaign to keep Van Dijk

Southampton’s players are joining their manager in the Virgil van Dijk charm offensive as all at St Mary’s remain hopeful the Dutchman might change his stance and stay.

“We’re desperate and we hope we can keep him because he’s such a quality player and an important player in the dressing room as well,” said Steven Davis, who captained the side against Swansea in Van Dijk’s absence. Manager Mauricio Pellegrino said the situation with the centre-back was “something that I can’t manage” and Davis, too, admitted he had no idea how his transfer-seeking team-mate’s future would finally be resolved.

“It’s a situation he’s got to deal with himself,” said the Northern Irishman. “Nobody else is living in that moment so nobody knows what is going through his head necessarily. But we are all there to support him and we’d welcome him back with open arms.”

Van Dijk’s absence from the first team was not as conspicuous as it might have been against Swansea as Maya Yoshida and Jack Stephens dealt comfortably with the limited threat Paul Clement’s side offered.

It is Southampton’s attack that will concern Pellegrino more with his side having failed to score for six home games in a row.

“Obviously there’s frustration in the dressing room,” said Davis. “We know that we will need to be a lot more clinical.”

Tammy Abraham, who made his Swansea debut following a loan switch from Chelsea, was happy to take a draw.

“You’re playing against players who are 10 times smarter and everything is quicker,” said the striker of his first taste of life in the top flight. “It’s a fantastic point for us.”