Anfield Focus

Redknapp: Virgil van Dijk move now a “certainty”

- 8th August 2017

Jamie Redknapp believes that Virgil van Dijk leaving Southampton for pastures new is now a “certainty” after his transfer request.

Jamie Redknapp believes that Virgil van Dijk is now “certain to leave” Southampton after the defender handed in a transfer request on Monday as he attempts to force his way out of the club. The £60m man has been linked with a move to Merseyside for over two months now and despite the ‘tapping up’ scandal occurring in June, it’s widely felt that van Dijk will still get his move.

Speaking on Sky Sports, Redknapp revealed he supports the Dutchman’s actions, labelling Southampton as a “selling club” and believing van Dijk is simply showing ambition to play at a higher level.

“He goes, it’s an absolute certainty,” Redknapp told Sky Sport’s new section ‘The Debate – Live.’ “He won’t play for Southampton again.”

“He has put in a transfer request and I think that probably suits Southampton. Let’s be honest, I was there for a short time, Southampton are a selling club. If you have any ambition to be a top player you leave Southampton.”

“Victor Wanyama, Sadio Mané, Adam Lallana, everybody else has gone. They paid £13m to Celtic for van Dijk and they will get close to £60m, they will get a fortune for him. I don’t blame Virgil one bit. This is what happens in football. He will already know how much he could get at Liverpool, how much he could get at Chelsea, this is what happens in football.”

Redknapp, who was joined on Sky Sports by former Liverpool defender and fellow pundit Jamie Carragher, believes that van Dijk is more likely to join Liverpool than Chelsea, despite the Blues being last season’s champions.

When asked to choose who he thinks is favourites, Redknapp said: “It’s a difficult one. There’s the pull of London, for a lot of players that’s a big thing but from what I hear Jürgen Klopp is a really big pull for him. He wants to play for Klopp and Liverpool need a centre-back desperately. Chelsea’s need is not as strong and I think he will go to Liverpool.”

“But I’m also surprised Manchester City have not gone for him. They must really feel Vincent Kompany can last the season.”

Of course, no debate that centres around Liverpool Football Club is complete without former Red Jamie Carragher also providing his two cents.

The former England and Liverpool centre back added: “Chelsea have been a lot more successful than Liverpool over the last 10 years. They are the champions and as Jamie mentioned there’s London, that’s a pull.”

“At the moment Chelsea are a better team than Liverpool. But if I was him I would look at the way Chelsea play with that back three. You would have van Dijk as the middle man but David Luiz was so good there last season as that big, powerful, dominant centre-back.”