Virgil Van Dijk has spoken to say he s happy at St Mary's, but that he has ambitions to play at the highest level.
Virgil Van Dijk has good news and bad news for Saints fans, however both are things that we already knew.
Speaking to The Times he said.
"Everyone says that at 25, the best years are still to come but I am enjoying every bit of it now,” he told the Times.
"Southampton is a very good club for me, it is an amazing place to be and I am happy to be part of the success."
"Every player in the world has ambitions; I have ambitions like everyone else. I want to get the maximum out of myself as a player. I can improve in every aspect and that takes time. That takes games. That takes playing at the highest level and with the national team."
"The figures you mention about me? I cannot do anything about that. That is football these days. But I don’t feel the pressure — no chance.”
So what has Virgil Van Dijk actually said ? Some media outlets are making this out as he want to go to a big club, but the reality is that he has said very little but he has said the right things.
It is good to hear that he is happy at Saints and why wouldn't he be, he is well paid and at a club that is having another good season and challenging for honours.
But the reason that we are doing so these days is that we are signing players who have ambition, that is why we are no longer a lower middle side with journeymen players, it is because the players we sign want to win things.
That doesn't help because it does mean they will move on to better things, but it is better to have had them here for a couple of seasons than not had them at all.
So I am pleased to read what Virgil has said, it shows that unlike some with ambition that we have had here, that he is level headed and knows that he has time to pick the right club for him for the next stage of his career and that he won't jump at the first big offer waved at him.
Yes it is frustrating at times to see so many players come and go, but it is a sign we are doing things right not that we are getting them wrong, the time we should worry is when no one wants to sign any of our players because then we will be getting it wrong, I would not swap the last four years for those of most of the Premier League outside of the big six, there is a good reason for that !