Should Saints sell Virgil van Dijk in January?
In the summer, the whole world had to endure the very public pursuit of Saints’ star defender, Virgil van Dijk.
Towards the end, it became quite ridiculous and bordering on the immoral. The fact he had signed a very lucrative long-term contract only months before did not stop Liverpool, or Van Dijk himself, looking for the move.
The fact that Southampton stood firm, for once, I applauded. Finally, the club started trying to keep their star players.
After Saturday’s game at Anfield, though, I am not so sure we should continue to reject the overtures of Liverpool. Has the club’s stance backfired?
I cannot be alone in thinking that Van Dijk is going through the motions. In fact, the whole team are underwhelming at present and it is a real cause for concern. It begs the question, to what extent has the Van Dijk saga disrupted the Saints squad and performances? We’ll never know, but it cannot be healthy.
The board now face a big decision. Do they cash in on him in January and be left with egg on their faces after the summer’s drama? Can they refuse to sell him and keep a player at the club who clearly does not want to be there? Can they afford to keep a player whose performances are clearly below par and thus risk a lesser bid in the summer?
This whole affair leaves a very bad taste in the supporters’ mouths. Millionaire players behaving like spoilt brats now rule the roost. Mega-buck Premier League outfits now ride rough-shot over the lesser clubs like Saints.
Do the powers at be at the Premier League offer clubs like ours any support against predatory big clubs? I am certainly not going to hold my breath.
What I do know is that we are going to go through the whole sordid saga again shortly. As a teenager in the 70s, I now feel increasingly frustrated and angry with the way football is going. Maybe I just feel nostalgic for a golden era which perhaps never was.
It now brings me back to Van Dijk. Yes, we should sell him… But, how far has he gone down in our estimation?
If he leaves, the club which lands him will have a great asset but not a very loyal one. Even by modern football’s standards.