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Football

01st Dec 2016

Manchester United and Liverpool both want to sign a Southampton defender

Two very good players...

Robert Redmond

Jurgen Klopp looks set to dig out his Southampton loyalty card and make a move for another player from the south coast team.

In recent seasons, Liverpool have signed Adam Lallana, Rickie Lambert, Nathaniel Clyne, Dejan Lovren and Sadio Mane from the Saints.

The club have been mocked in some quarters for repeatedly returning to Southampton to sign players, but it has worked out well for them.

Lallana, Clyne and Mane have proven to have been good acquisitions, Lovren has improved this season, after initially struggling, and only Lambert’s signing didn’t work out.

If Virgil van Dijk makes the move to Anfield, it would be a surprise if he wasn’t a success at Anfield.

Southampton v Liverpool - Premier League

The 25-year-old Dutch defender has been in brilliant form this season, and will reportedly be the subject of a bid from Liverpool.

van dijkWhoScored.com

Micky Quinn, the former Newcastle United striker and Liverpool fan, claims that Liverpool won’t be fazed by interest in the player by city-rivals Everton.

“No, don’t worry about Ronald Koeman,” Quinn said on talkSPORT.

“Liverpool will blow them [Everton] out of the water. That’s what I’ve been told, anyway.”

Van Dijk joined Southampton from Celtic in 2015 for £13m, and signed a new six-year deal with the club last May after being named the player of the season last season.

The Saints’ solid defensive partnership could be broken-up completely during the next transfer window, as Manchester United are set to make a move for Jose Fonte, according to The Sun.

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The Southampton captain was linked with a transfer to United during the summer, after impressing for Portugal as they won Euro 2016, but a move failed to materialise.

However, Jose Mourinho is said to be still keen on signing the player, who will turn 33 later this month, as he seeks to bolster his injury-hit defence.

Fonte’s contract expires in 2018, and he has yet to sign a new deal, adding further fuel to speculation linking him with a move to Old Trafford.

Michael Lundy joins Wooly for a wide-ranging discussion that starts with a chat about Ger Loughnane, dodgy transfers and Davy Fitzgerald’s training methods. Subscribe here on iTunes.