Despite the fact that the transfer window is not due to open for another five weeks the media are already trying to sell Virgil Van Dijk, not only by suggesting potential destinations for the Dutchman but his replacements.

Once again the media is full of stories about Virgil Van Dijk leaving St Mary's and various media outlets are trying to save Saints a few bob in advertising him in the "For Sale" small ads by not only linking him to a plethora of clubs, but naming the price for Saints to save them haggling.

The media have already decided that Van Dijk will be leaving St Mary's in the summer, the only thing they disagree on is who has actually secured his services, depending on which outlet you believe the Dutch defender is already nailed on to join Liverpool, or Mancheater City, or Arsenal Or Chelsea and Manchester United are hovering as are Tottenham, not to mention the man who signed Van Dijk for Saints, Ronald Koeman.

But the hacks of the national press are not content with just making up stories of Van Dijk's departure, they are trying to prove that their stories carry weight by also suggesting around half a dozen targets that Saints themselves are nailed on to sign as a replacement.

They take no account into the fact that even assuming Van Dijk stays, Saints still need to sign a replacement for Jose Fonte so it would be only natural that they are scouting central defenders, so if Saints were to sign a central defender tomorrow that would not be a pointer that Van Dijk was leaving.

Once again the media is stirring up things for Saints, the St Mary's faithful need to accept that and realise that 99% of what is in the press at the moment has no substance, it is there to sell newspapers and get page clicks, it's the way the media works.

We know from the past summers that Saints have a strategy with regard to buying and selling players, sadly it does not include keeping players for elongated periods, not through our choice, but due to the way football works these days.

That means that for virtually every club it is a case of having to sell their best players, that is the reality of the game today, Saints have realised that, not tried to fight it, but developed a strategy to use the situation to our best advantage, we have done that very well over the past three summers, we will succeed again going forward, if only because we have to, there is not other choice, clubs the size of Saints cannot pay the wages that the big six are able to and cannot offer the chances of glory that they can.

But we can offer plenty of other things and that is why we are now regarded as a model for all bar a handful of clubs in English football.

Photo: Action Images

SaintBrock added 13:33 - Apr 23 Sadly, Nick it is inevitable. We have no friends amongst the London / Manchester press moguls and their battalions who will do their utmost to unsettle him. Let's hope he is made of firmer stuff and wants to stick around this part of the world for a little bit longer. Puel seems hopeful that Virgil will stay on and has always emphasised that his value will not fall for several years yet and might actually increase over a couple of years. If he wants to leave two years down the track and we can still get £80m for him why let him go now? Even money-grubbing Les couldn't counter that.

0

SaintBrock added 17:39 - Apr 23 On one point Nick, what glory can Spurs, Liverpool or Everton offer? Beats me. Arsenal have won nothing for years and Man U can't get into Europe let alone win the EPL. Ok they won a cup because of referee favouritism but it could and should have been us so cannot see why players think they will fare better elsewhere for medals than staying put here after all the reason we don't win anything is because we have sold a whole team of decent players. Ah.. I've got it.... MONEY!

-1

SanMarco added 00:09 - Apr 24 I am always happy to criticise the media - especially Murdoch and the Daily Smell - aka Mail but we have to be honest here: why wouldn't anyone that's watched out last few summers be predicting that our best player will be sold? It seems pretty likely to me that VVD will go and once you accept that you start speculating as to where he will go. If we didn't sell out best players so often there would be less speculation. The answer to SaintBrock's pertinent question "why let him go now" is that he will probably ask to go. Once that happens and the kerching is suitably loud the deal will be done.

0

JGH added 13:40 - Apr 24 SaintBrock - face reality mate. Liverpool and Spurs will almost certainly be playing Champions League football next year, United have won one cup and are in the semi-finals of another (in addition to the chance of champions league through EPL or Europa). Everton will be playing in Europe next year. Arsenal will also be playing in Europe next year. We will not. We can all claim it's money and nothing else but unfortunately that isn't the case.

0

Blogs 31 bloggers

Southampton Polls