Liverpool could miss out on top transfer target to Manchester City

Manchester City will attempt to break a transfer record for the most expensive defender in history.

According to The Times, Pep Guardiola will bid £50m for Southampton defender Virgil van Dijk. van Dijk has impressed since he moved to the Premier League from Celtic in 2015 and has long been touted to move to a club competing in the Champions League. Liverpool fans will not be happy to hear the recent update about van Dijk has been heavily linked to the club in recent months. If the move is to materialise at the reported price, van Dijk will surpass John Stones as the world's most expensive defender after he moved to the club last summer for £47.5m. Manchester City has long struggled for a consistent with Stones and fellow centre back Nicolás Otamendi often falling under criticism for their performances and club captain Vincent Kompany regularly missing out through injury. After finishing third in the Premier League, last season was Pep Guardiola's first that was trophyless. Guardiola has been given the task of winning the Champions League and Premier League and Chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak has given the manager the task of securing the Premier League and Champions League. Al Mubarak told the club's official website,

"We will try to win the Premier League and the Champions League and that remains our objective. "It excites me trying to win the Champions League and winning the Champions League. "That ambition of winning the Champions League and hopefully doing it, that dream excites me very day and knowing we can do it. "The dream of doing the treble, yes. I want to do the treble, or else let's go for the quadruple! Why not?"

And Guardiola will be given a generous transfer kitty having already secured the signing of Bernardo Silva from Monaco for £43.6m and the club look set to sign Benfica goalkeeper Ederson for £34.7m, making him the most expensive goalkeeper in history.