According to reports from the Mirror, Chelsea believe that they will win the race to sign Southampton defender Virgil van Dijk for £50m this summer.
The Dutchman, who may have played his last game for the south coast outfit having almost certainly been ruled out for the rest of the campaign because of a foot injury he picked up against Leicester in January, looks set to become the latest star to leave St Mary’s Stadium, it seems.
The news will come as a blow for Saints manager Claude Puel, who would have hoped that he could keep hold of his captain – who only signed a new six-year deal with the club last May – for at least another season.
Having already lost Jose Fonte to West Ham during the January transfer window, the latest rumours mean that signing a centre-back will be Puel’s priority this summer.
Here are FOUR potential Van Dijk replacements the Frenchman could target…
Malang Sarr
Having moved to St Mary’s after leaving Nice last summer, there is no doubt that Claude Puel will have been keeping a close eye on how his former side are doing this season.
The French outfit currently sit in third position in the Ligue 1 table, and Puel would certainly have been impressed by the performances of Sarr at the heart of the defence.
The 18-year-old has made over 20 league appearances for the club and while there are still aspects of his game that need to be improved, he has shown that he has the potential to go to the very top.
Harry Maguire
While Hull City have spent the majority of the Premier League season battling at the wrong end of the table, it hasn’t stopped Maguire putting in a number of eye-catching performances at the heart of the defence, where he has made, impressively, over 100 clearances in Premier League action.
Similarly to Van Dijk, the 24-year-old has an aerial dominance and ability to bring the ball out, and Saints scouts will surely have been watching the centre-back closely should their captain depart for Stamford Bridge this summer.
Ruben Semedo
In terms of stature, Semedo is probably the most similar to Van Dijk on this list, and the 6ft. 3” centre-back certainly has all of the attributes to be as strong in the air as the Dutchman is.
The 22-year-old has ability with the ball on the floor, too, though – he has a passing accuracy of 90% in Primeira Liga action for Sporting CP this term – and his age and potential mean that he fits perfectly into the club’s transfer philosophy.
One worry might be that he picked up two red cards this season, but the Saints don’t often sign the finished article and they would look to improve the defender if he moved to St Mary’s.
Nathan Ake
The 22-year-old impressed during a loan spell with Bournemouth in the first half of this season – where he made 12 appearances in all competitions and scored three goals – and he would have hoped that he could stake his claim for a spot in the first-team under Antonio Conte on his return to Stamford Bridge.
However, Ake has made just two outings since his return to the capital – both in the FA Cup – and looks certain to leave the Blues this summer, especially if Van Dijk signs.
Having put in some dominant displays for the Cherries, he could be the man the Saints target to replace their influential captain.
