In a summer filled with ITK’s, unconfirmed reports and general nonsense, concrete news is always appreciated.
Concrete news is even more appreciated when it’s positive for your interests, something Liverpool fans had yesterday as news broke of Virgil Van Dijk handing an official transfer request into Southampton.
Yes, Southampton had known of his desire to leave. So had Liverpool, so had Chelsea. You knew, I knew. The bloke down the pub knew.
But, this is certainly a development. Van Dijk has waived his ‘loyalty bonus’, ironically associated with not handing in a transfer request before you leave a club – rather than a fee being paid for staying at a club over a period of time.
If Southampton’s resistance was slowly tugging away from their core, it may be about to snap.
What now though? It’s not as simple as Southampton coming running to Liverpool and Van Dijk leaning in a Melwood corridor come Tuesday.
Liverpool have to ease their way in carefully, especially after what happened earlier in the summer. Chelsea are sniffing around, but the Dutchman’s intentions are clear.
He wants Liverpool and – despite many Saints fans not being happy about it – it looks like Merseyside is where he’ll end up.
Depending on who you believe, the club’s have been in constant communication, even since the apology. It would make sense.
Liverpool and Southampton have become something of a buying/selling couple in recent years. When a couple has an argument and one of them is kicked out, they don’t stop speaking completely – even if that is what they tell their friends.
What that doesn’t mean though, is that negotiations are finalised. Southampton will have likely told Liverpool that they’ll only negotiate once relations between the player and club, plus the fans reaches breaking point – as it looks to have done on Monday.
Even then, there will be a serious fee to pay. Chelsea are lagging behind in the race, but do have the financial power to attempt a gazumping of Liverpool. The Reds need to act respectfully and quickly in order to get the man that they’ve chased so hard this summer.
Speculating on what happens next, it’d be fair to imagine that Liverpool will have to make the first move to finalise a deal. Southampton will have seen the request coming, but they’ll still be reeling and battling to make sure they come out on top in the ‘PR’ stakes.
Reports of ‘rejected’ Liverpool bids wouldn’t be a surprise. The two clubs may well agree a price, but it looks a little better for Southampton if they make it known that they didn’t accept the first offer they got.
‘After rejecting two bids, the club felt that Liverpool’s third offer made most sense on a footballing and financial level for the club’ sounds better on Southampton’s website than simply stating that they’d agreed a fee.
Either way, you’d expect rapid progress to be made. If not, there is definitely justifiable reason as to what exactly Liverpool’s transfer operatives have been up to this summer.
A defender who rarely lets the opposition in, VVD has given Liverpool an opening. The Reds must hammer home their advantage and take it.
utter nonsense from a pillock who can’t even be bothered to read the rest of the news
Once again utter speculation heavily tinted via LFC specs. I guess the more you type this, the more real you believe this becomes.
The only parts of this article than can even be remotely attributed to ‘fact’ are that:
Liverpool approached VVD in a improper fashion.
Liverpool issued a public apology and said their “interest” in the player was at an end.
Sources closest to both clubs indicated that Liverpool and SFC engaged in dialogue. This was to ensure positive relations were reset and for LFC to obtain “permission” from SFC to make a bid.
That didn’t bear fruit on the VVD question, particularly given the time passed and the fact Klopp then indicated he was happy with the CBs he has.
SFC confirm via sources that no bids from any club have been received.
VVD issues a transfer request.
Sources close to SFC state the clubs stance has not changed.
I think LFC fans will have to start realising that the prospect of VVD going to their club this summer is now very remote. Unless he buys out his contract SFC will not sell to LFC. It is more likely he will be sold to another club.
A football club is like a military barrack. Soldiers go and soldiers come into the barrack. The barrack will not remain empty untill the abnormal happens then the follow up will be history. If VVD has decided on lfc as his immidiate destination, then the journey has began. Every friction placed on his path becoomes a waste. As it stands, VVD has an over 60% advantage over his employer and knows it. Southampton can only sell him now and that to the club of his choice. Sadly enough, southampton failed to take absolute control of this situation earlier. Finally this saga should serve as a lesson to those players who rushes into unnecessary contract extensions even when their club lacks in ambition.
Of course klopp is going to say he is happy with his defence. If they don’t sign vvd then that’s what he got to work with, he’s not going to kill there confidence at the start of a new season he will try to install it. Personally I would prefer not to start the new season with the same problems that’s been hidering us for so long. We need a stronger spine, perhaps a bit of dirt. You know the sort of player when they knock you over will pick you up by your nippels and twist.
It’s looking more and more that this vvd saga will end up in a tribunal result.a bit like George Eastham in 1965 when he had a one man strike to get the maximum wage banned £20 at the time.he then joined Stoke straight from Arsenal and England’s world cup winning team.virgil having been told he can” Rot in the stands”before they will sell him the FA or Did a should intervene and sort this one out.what they told him has to be an illegal statement. Go for it Virgil.good luck mate.Tom Cope.