Southampton place huge price tag on Van Dijk

Southampton have made no secret of their desire to keep hold of defender Virgil van Dijk this summer. As the Premier League's top clubs refuse to be deterred, The Saints have put a £70 million price tag on the Dutch defender. 

Some big names have come through the ranks of Southampton and moved on in recent years, with the club getting a reputation of being a selling club. Current Southampton bosses are keen to remove that label from their club and are looking to prove a point by keeping hold of van Dijk. 

With five years remaining on his contract, Southampton have no immediate need to sell their key central defender. Van Dijk missed the final four months of the Premier League season, but Southampton see him as a key part of their future plans. 

The Daily Mirror reports that the twenty-five-year-old is currently happy at the club and has made no requests to leave St Mary's anytime soon. With many years ahead of him and being tied down to a long-term contract, Southampton believe that the former Celtic defender's value will continue to increase in the coming years.