Although they’ve been hijacked of their most influential players in recent years, it seems like Southampton won’t be giving the elite clubs an easy job of luring away Virgil van Dijk.

The Dutchman only signed a new six-year deal with the Saints last summer, but that hasn’t stopped the top dogs in the Premier League circling around like sharks in the hope of signing him and it’s certainly going to cost them.

HEFTY PRICE TAG

According to the Mirror, Southampton have slapped a £70 million price tag on their skipper, who missed the final four months of the Premier League season with an ankle injury where his side managed an eighth-placed finish.

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Several clubs are interested in his services, with Liverpool and Manchester City reportedly leading the chase, although Arsenal and Chelsea have also been linked with him.

Now that he’ll cost around the £70 million mark, you can be sure some of them will cool off on their interest with Southampton now playing hardball.

Earlier this week, numerous outlets reported that Jurgen Klopp had made van Dijk a priority signing for the summer while it was thought that Antonio Conte could also be in for the 26-year-old considering John Terry is leaving the club.

PREMIER LEAGUE INTEREST

While £50 million is a bit of a stretch for some teams, he’s proven his worth in the top tier of English football and even a lengthy injury didn’t decrease his value.

One team that hasn’t been put off by the valuation so far is Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City, as they reportedly kicked off the bidding war for the sought-after star as they’re open to paying the initial £50 million fee that was reported, along with offering him a £180,000 a week in wages – meaning he’d earn over £100 million over a five-year period.

It’s clear that Southampton are trying to fend off interest by increasing his value by a staggering £20 million, but City have already shown that they mean business this summer as Guardiola has acted quickly to bring in Bernardo Silva from AS Monaco and Ederson from Benfica for almost £100 million.

They’re also linked with the likes of Benjamin Mendy as their big spending looks to continue, so perhaps they’re one of the very few sides that would be in the running to spend £70 million on van Dijk.

The Mirror went on to add that despite the rampant speculation, he’s currently relaxed about the situation and hasn’t told his current side that he intends on leaving.

Southampton do have a reputation of being a selling club, but their latest statement of intent could mean they’re not going to roll over for anybody and the longer they keep in, the more his value will increase.

Will any club pay £70 million to sign Virgil van Dijk this summer? Have YOUR say in the comments section below.

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