Arsenal fans in the Transfer Tavern have received a timely boost ahead of this afternoon’s crucial North London derby with Tottenham Hotspur, with some positive transfer reports filtering in.
The Daily Star states the Gunners have made an early move to sign Dutch defender Virgil Van Dijk from Southampton in the summer window and Arsene Wenger’s side lead the chase, along with Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City.
Van Dijk is attracting a wealth of attention this summer, with Liverpool, Everton, Chelsea and Manchester United also linked to the central defender at numerous stages this season, and Southampton can expect to earn around £50m for a sale.
Whilst that figure would be easy for Manchester City to offer, a deal for that price would make Van Dijk the most expensive signing in Arsenal history- eclipsing the £42.5m the Gunners paid Real Madrid for Mesur Ozil in 2013.
Our landlord believes a club-record deal for Van Dijk from Arsenal would make a major statement of intent to their Premier League rivals and believes it would be money well spent, as he feels Van Dijk would significantly improve the Gunners’ defensive ranks.
Would a club-record deal for Van Dijk be good for Arsenal this summer? Let us know in the comments below!
