Liverpool’s hopes of signing Southampton centre-half Virgil van Dijk have received a huge boost with the news that the 26-year-old Dutchamn has been left out of their pre-season tour to France. The Merseyside club’s quest to land the player looks to have taken a further twist after The Saints previously reported the Anfield club for making an illegal approach.
 

Having issued an apology to try to calm the waters in which they stated that they would end their interest in the player, van Dijk himself seemingly has his heart set on a move to Liverpool and now it looks as though Southampton chiefs have accepted the fact that they will lose their star defender.
 

With the south-coast club looking for a fee of around £65M, The Independent reports that boss Mauricio Pellegrino is still hopeful he can convince van Dijk to stay. He did however, explain that; “The boy said that he is not available to play because he wants to leave,” he said. “This is the decision. I had to say: ‘If you don’t want to be involved because you don’t feel OK then you have to train alone until this period of time happens.”
 

“My relationship with Virgil is excellent. I was clear with the boy, and I was talking from the first day with him. The club was clear. The club told me they will not sell Virgil. I translated the idea of the club to the player and for me it was easy because I had to manage the dynamic of the team."
 

“Now he is not involved with the team because psychologically he is not 100%. If you are not 100% with the team I need to work with the players who are 1,000% to defend Southampton. It’s easy for me.”