Virgil van Dijk missed Tuesday afternoon in the competition selection of Southampton for emancipation with Tottenham Hotspur, because the defender would be on his way to Manchester City. The leader of the Premier League, according to various English media, is about 68 million close to an agreement on a transfer of Van Dijk, but Paul Merson doubts whether the Orange international is ready for the step to the Etihad Stadium.
The former midfielder of a. o. Arsenal emphasizes that Manchester City’s competition is murderous:”Nicolás Otamendi has done an excellent job of doing this seize, John Stones comes back from an injury and Vincent Kompany is, if fit, assured of a base place”, he says at Sky Sports,”I suppose that Van Dijk wants to go to a club where he is sure of his place”.
“At Liverpool, for example, he would play every week,”says Merson, who also thinks that Van Dijk would fit well with Chelsea,”which would probably be the best option for him. Chelsea plays with three defenders, so you will always have to play. He could do well as a middle man in a three-man defense. Moreover, his offensive qualities will then be better expressed.
Without Van Dijk Southampton went downstairs on Tuesday with 5-2 to visit Tottenham Hotspur. Manager Mauricio Pellegrino explained to the English media afterwards why Van Dijk was missing in his competition selection:”I have to decide what is best for the team and there are many speculations about Van Dijk. The trainer must determine what is best for the team. We win, play right and lose, with or without Van Dijk. I don’t have control over the transfer market, so we’ll see what happens”, he said about a possible winter departure of his pupil.
Is Virgil van Dijk good enough for a base at Manchester City?
