Chelsea are reportedly keen on signing Southampton defender Virgil van Dijk this summer, but it’s said the transfer will cost the Blues £100m in total.
The Dutch international has established himself as one of the top defensive players in the Premier League since his switch to St. Mary’s from Celtic in 2015, and in turn it’s no surprise that he’s attracting interest from the top clubs.
Antonio Conte will undoubtedly be looking to bolster his squad this summer as he prepares for the Champions League and the likelihood of having to defend their Premier League crown, and a defender is high on the agenda for the Italian tactician.
With John Terry set to move on this summer, coupled with Branislav Ivanovic’s exit earlier this year as well as general question marks over the depth and age of the backline, signing Van Dijk makes sense on various fronts.
According to The Sun, it’s going to be one expensive deal though as aside from the fact that Chelsea are tipped to spend £50m+ on a transfer fee, he will also be in line for wages of at least £200,000-a-week.
With his current Saints deal still having five years remaining on it, Claude Puel will be under zero pressure to sell him and so the club are in a very strong position to make their hefty demands if they fear losing him in the more immediate future.
Manchester City and Arsenal are also noted as being interested parties, but it’s difficult to see the Gunners in particular compete with the numbers being touted and so they may well have to look elsewhere.
The Sun add that Roma defender Kostas Manolas is another Chelsea target and is valued at around £30m. While he could turn out to be the more financial viable option, it remains to be seen if Van Dijk can be prised away from Southampton first.