Virgil van Dijk has handed in a transfer request at Southampton and criticised the club's attitude towards his determination to leave. http://www.skysports.com/football/n...an-dijk-hands-in-southampton-transfer-request The 26-year-old Netherlands centre-back feels he has "no alternative" after becoming "frustrated" with Saints' position that he is not for sale, and says his relationship with the club has become "seriously affected". Liverpool heavily pursued a deal for Van Dijk at the start of the summer transfer window but were forced to drop their interest after Southampton reported them to the Premier League for an alleged illegal approach. Chelsea and Man City are also understood to be interested in the defender, who signed a new long-term contract last year, but Sky sources understand Saints' are unlikely to change their position despite the following statement issued by his management company. Van Dijk said: "It is with regret that I can confirm that I have today handed in a transfer request to leave Southampton. "Unfortunately I feel I have no alternative after I was given notice of the club's intention to impose a disciplinary sanction against me of a fine equivalent to two weeks' wages. I will be appealing what I feel to be an unjustified sanction and their inability to follow the correct disciplinary protocol in due course. "Over the past six months I have held numerous discussions with representatives of the board, the former manager Claude Puel as well as the new manager Mauricio Pellegrino to inform them all of my desire to leave the club in search of a new challenge. "I am incredibly ambitious and want to achieve as much as I possibly can to fulfil my potential in what is a very short career as a professional footballer. I want to play European football again and challenge for major honours and, as such, I would like Southampton to consider the interest in me from top clubs should it still exist. "I have been left frustrated by the club's position that I am not for sale and am disappointed that enquiries from multiple top clubs have been consistently rebuffed. The period of time that I have just spent injured and unable to play has put a number of things into perspective and made me realise just how important it is to take major opportunities should they arise. What an absolute C*nt!
No thanks. Van Dick would simply use us as another stepping stone towards fulfilling his "incredible ambition" and throw a tantrum when we refuse to sell him to Real after a season or two. £20m + Soares on the other hand would be more than welcome. Sorry Kev.
Now, I'm not one to spread unfounded rumours.......... May...John Terry leaves Chelsea. August........ the delectable Mrs Abramovic leaves Chelsea and Roman. You don't have to be a genius to join up the dots...............Daria Zhukova's has been wooed by Steve Bruce.
The trophy's silver and shiny, it helps fill a cabinet in the trophy room and it goes on the club's list of honours. Like the Norwich Hospital Charity Cup.
It's something that is rarely mentioned but to their credit, Real have one of the most settled teams in Europe. Perhaps there is wisdom to it after all...
It's easy to have a settled side when you mop up all the best players in Europe, but it's true as I have said before settled sides win things.
Problem is their team consists of ten settled players indulging the whims of a personality cult that the club has overindulged for a decade.
£18.5m, apparently. Where does that leave Burnley? I wonder what Elton John makes of his homophobic comments?
He was in the last year of his contract at Burnley and they've made a £9M+ profit on him. He managed 9 goals last season, which was ordinary. So it looks like good business for them, although they have to find a goalscoring replacement in this inflated transfer market. £18M might be the going rate for a 15 goal per season striker. Burnley might have to look at a good Championship striker for £10 or £12M and hope they can step up to the PL. Wood at Leeds?
£18.5m for a striker who only scored in 6 of the 32 games he started? **** knows how much that makes rose worth
Gray strikes me as being good enough to murder the Championship, but lacking the quality to dine at the top table. Rather like Dwight Gayle and Cameron Jerome. All I can say in his defense is that Burnley were probably the least interested team in crossing the half way line since Santini was in charge of Spurs (***shudders***), so he didn't see much of the ball in the opposition box if not from a set piece. For a club record signing and a chunk of money that I doubt Watford will be spending again this window, I have to say I am surprised they have taken such a gamble, all the while ignoring the glaring defensive deficiencies they had last season. That combined with yet more managerial upheaval means that they are my early tip for relegation.
