Chelsea are set to bid around £60m for Southampton centre-back Virgil van Dijk, reports the Daily Express.
The Dutchman, who misses Saints’ trip to Everton on Monday through suspension, has been linked with a host of Premier League sides, including Manchester City, Manchester United and Liverpool.
The Blues, though, are hoping to trump the trio with a £60m move for Van Dijk as Antonio Conte looks to bolster his defence.
Branislav Ivanovic, Gary Cahill and John Terry are all the wrong side of 30 and with Conte favouring a three-man backline, defensive reinforcements are a must.
Saints manager Claude Puel is determined to retain the services of Van Dijk and is adamant the defender won’t be leaving St. Mary’s during the January transfer window.
However, they will find it hard to turn down a huge bid for their prized asset from Chelsea, particularly as the west London side have the means to make such an offer following the sale of Oscar.
Despite his red card against West Brom on Saturday, Van Dijk’s WhoScored rating (7.45) is enough for him to feature in the current Premier League team of the season.
For more stats on Virgil van Dijk, click here to view his WhoScored player page
