It seems like Virgil Van Dijk is set to remain unsettled at his current club Southampton, as speculations surrounding him are becoming rife once again, this time for a move to Arsenal. The Dutch defender has been the centre of interest for a number of clubs in the Premier League long before the summer transfer window opened, including the likes of Manchester City, Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool apart from Arsenal.
Reportedly, the Gunners are planning to get in backup for their veteran defender Per Mertesacker, who is set to take up a coaching role at the Arsenal academy after this season. For that, they have been eyeing a number of players who have been making impacts for their team in the last few seasons in the Premier League as well as Europe.
Like many other big name clubs, it is supposed that the North London side will also be going in with a bid to make a swoop for the Dutch defender in the summer in order to strengthen their squad for the upcoming campaign.
Arsenal have already got one of the best strikers in Europe in the form of Alexandre Lacazette from the French Ligue 1 club Lyon in their squad and are now looking to bring in his compatriot and Monaco midfielder Thomas Lemar in the summer as well.
They were also poised to bid for the French youngster Kylian Mbappe, but now with the securing of the prized striker in the form of Lacazette and Mbappe’s transfer fee being over £100 million, the Gunners might be shifting their focus towards strengthening their backline, which has been a major reason for concern for their disappointment in the last season.
The North London club ended their last season in the fifth position on the Premier League table, the first time since 1998. This has, naturally, led their fans to become disappointed with the club management and they are demanding to bring in players who can change the composition of the team in the next season. Van Dijk is one such player, who has been marshalling the defence for his current club Southampton in the last few seasons since his arrival from Scottish champions Celtic in 2015.
Van Dijk can be a really important player for any team he plays for in Europe. He is not only a defender who can hold the fort for his team but a player who can show great leadership skills on the pitch. In Arsenal, which lacked the experience and the depth in their defence that either of Skodoran Mustafi and Rob Holding has not been able to deliver properly in the last term, the presence of Van Dijk can be a real game changer for the Gunners in the next season.
The last term, however, an injury saw him sit out for quite a long time at the St Mary’s Stadium, cutting short his season for the Saints to mere 21 appearances in the Premier League. This has, though, not been able to decrease his demand, with Arsenal now joining in the fight as well. But is he a requirement at the Emirates?
