Virgil Van Dijk missing again as Southampton prepare £60m sale

Southampton boss Mauricio Pellegrino seems resigned to losing Virgil van Dijk next month.

Van Dijk was omitted from the Southampton squad once more this afternoon at Tottenham, and Pellegrino briefly addressed the situation before kick-off at Wembley.

Van Dijk was also left out of the squad on Saturday as Saints earned a 1-1 draw with Huddersfield.

Pellegrino said: “I guess, with Virgil, there is a lot of speculation. We will wait till January and then after we will talk about it.”

The Daily Telegraph claims Man City are in talks with Southampton over a £60million move for Van Dijk, meaning Liverpool will have to look elsewhere.

Liverpool were hot on the trail over Van Dijk in the summer, before Saints threatened to report them to the Premier League over an alleged illegal approach for the centre-back.

Klopp remains keen on the Dutchman, but City are now believed to be in pole position for Van Dijk, leaving Liverpool to look elsewhere.

And Lazio defender Stefan De Vrij may well be Klopp’s man now.

The 25-year-old has been told he can leave Rome during the January transfer window, according to the Daily Mirror.

Lazio chiefs will sanction the sale of the Dutchman if someone meets their valuation.

Reports of De Vrij signing a new three-year contract, worth just over £50,000-a-week, with a £27million release clause, have never been confirmed and his existing deal expires next summer.