After yesterday's news that Liverpool are seemingly telling everyone that they have secured the services of Virgil Van Dijk, turns out they don't want to actually stump up the cash in full.
Saints fans started their usual summer meltdown yesterday when Liverpool's PR team told anyone that would listen in the media that they had agreed a deal with Virgil Van Dijk, a day later it seems that they are no nearer actually doing the deal than they were a week or even a month ago.
In some sort of informal contact it seems that Van Dijk or his agent has indicated to them that he would prefer to join them than Manchester City but little more than that at present and that nothing further has been agreed between the two clubs or anyone for that matter.
Bu as Liverpool fans celebrated the fact that their club was about to make a big statement of intent that they were looking to win the league next season with talks about out bidding City with a transfer fee of £70 million and wages of £200 k per week it appears that the news headlines are not as accurate as they would like and Liverpool are not quite ready to stump up that kind of money in cash.
It seems that yesterdays news is no more than Liverpool trying to force the move and make it look like they are the club he will go to, rather than anything concrete.
Now Liverpool could have a problem as Saints with Van Dijk tied up for another five years on his contract, will be in no mood to sell him to anyone, but if they have to do so due to pressure from the player they will not be selling to anyone who is not the highest bidder for the player.
That could be a problem for Liverpool, Andy Carroll at £35 million still just about shades Sadio Mane by a few hundred thousand as their record transfer in, City were reportedly willing to pay the £70 million for Van Dijk on the nose, Liverpool indicated that they were about to do the same but then they blinked.
The Liverpool Echo amongst others are reporting that the club are looking for some kind of player exchange to reduce down the cash they actually have to pay.
The man who holds the key is Mamadou Sakho, Saints were trying to get him in January but Liverpool were demanding £30 million for a sale and that did not go down well with Saints who felt that he was not worth much more than half that much, literally the price that Liverpool paid for him 4 years ago and his career at Anfield had hardly enhanced his value.
Indeed Transfermarkt an online football statistic site have his value as £8.5 million and although Palace stumped up £2 million for a loan fee in what turned out to be 8 games for them, Liverpool seem to be wanting a lot more.
Then there was the players wage demands, he is on a big long term contract at Liverpool and does not seem to want to give that up lightly, his wages were an issue for Saints in January and are likely to be again if Liverpool try to foist him upon us.
In fairness Sakho did have a decent spell at Palace on loan in the latter half of the season but as mentioned it was only 8 games and initially he did not get in their side, but he finished the season strongly for the Eagles and they are still keen to sign him.
Perhaps Liverpool might also try to make Dejan Lovren part of the deal, he has struggled to get in the side at Anfield and never really showed the form he displayed at St Mary's, the arrival of Van Dijk would push him further down the pecking order, but would Saints fan accept him back even if his head is now already back in Southampton.
But today's news perhaps shows how modern football works, Liverpool are nowhere near signing Van Dijk, what we have seen is the first part of the PR war that Liverpool will hope will not only convince the player to join them, but also see off Manchester City and create a situation that will spiral and end up with Van Dijk at Anfield.
Social media is already going mad with Saints fans in meltdown, there may be a point where that is fair comment, but it is no use ranting about something that has not happened yet, there is a chain of events about to take place at Southampton Football Club that might make the future a lot brighter, we should all sit back and see what unfolds before going ballistic.