Liverpool end Virgil van Dijk interest with statement

Liverpool have reportedly released a statement on the club's official website stating that they no longer hold an interest in recruiting Southampton defender Virgil van Dijk this summer.

The Netherlands international had been regularly linked with the Reds this month with suggestions that a fee of around £50m could be sufficient to lure him from St.Mary's

Southampton have lost several key players to the Merseyside outfit over the years, and they recently launched an investigation into an illegal approach for their star defender.

The Reds have since quickly acted to apologise for the situation while confirming that Van Dijk has been dropped from their transfer shortlist.

The statement read:

"Liverpool Football Club would like to put on record our regret over recent media speculation regarding Southampton Football Club and player transfers between the two clubs.

"We apologise to the owner, board of directors and fans of Southampton for any misunderstanding regarding Virgil van Dijk.

"We respect Southampton's position and can confirm we have ended any interest in the player."

Jurgen Klopp had underlined Van Dijk as his top target for the transfer window, but the ongoing controversy has urged them to drop their interest in the player on an immediate basis.

The move gives the likes of Manchester City and Chelsea the green light to pursue the centre-back with both willing to match Southampton's £50m valuation.