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Southampton line-up Liverpool defender to replace van Dijk

Southampton line-up Liverpool defender to replace van Dijk

Southampton look set to lose another of their influential players this summer with Dutch centre-half Virgil van Dijk possibly heading to West London to join Chelsea. The Saints are not resting on their laurels however and according to The Mirror, the south-coast club have lined up Liverpool’s Mamadou Sakho as a potential replacement.
 
The 27-year-old has been on-loan at Crystal Palace since January after effectively being frozen out at Anfield by boss Jurgen Klopp after indiscipline on a pre-season tour to the US which saw the Frenchman sent home in disgrace.
 
Since joining The Eagles however, his performances have impressed many on-lookers and Southampton boss Claude Puel has now reportedly targeted the player ahead of next season. Sakho joined Liverpool in an £18.5 million deal in 2013 and its understood the Merseyside club will want to recoup as much of that as they can in any potential sale.
 
Southampton could get as much as £50 million for the sale of van Dijk which would make him the most expensive defender in Premier League history.