According to the latest transfer news in regards to Arsenal, it appears as though the North London club could be looking at a swoop for the Southampton centre-back, Virgil van Dijk. A report from the Mirror claims that Arsenal have joined Chelsea, Manchester City and Everton in the race for the highly-rated Dutch defender who is understood to be willing to leave St. Mary’s this summer in order to take the next big step in his career.
The report further claims that the Gunners’ boss Arsene Wenger is looking to bolster his defence so as to permanently employ the 3-4-2-1 formation which was used in Monday night’s win over relegation-threatened Midllesbrough. The system would require three central defenders to play each game and so it becomes a necessity to bring in reinforcements for the Arsenal backline.
With Shkodran Mustafi having a hit-and-miss debut season at the Emirates, Gabriel failing to impress since his move and Rob Holding still not ready to play every game, there is no doubt that the club need an established central defender to come in. Van Dijk has had a very impressive season in the South Coast and has proven that he can make the cut in the Premier League, making him an ideal signing for an Arsenal side that is very evidently struggling at the back.
But with that being said, I really think this story has to be taken with a pinch of salt. While there may certainly be interest from Arsenal, the fact that the former Celtic star is being chased by so many top teams will make it very difficult for Le Prof to compete. In addition, Southampton are likely to slap an exorbitant price tag on the player and will look to cash in big if they are to cash in. So while it would be a big catch if it were to happen, I certainly would not get my hopes up about this one.
Anurag