Former Southampton manager Claude Puel has hailed Virgil van Dijk as the best defender in Europe as Liverpool reportedly prepare another move for him in the January window.
Puel, who is now at Leicester, defended his record at St Mary’s Stadium last season after steering the team to eighth place in the Premier League and a Wembley final in the League Cup.
Speaking to L’Equipe on Thursday about Southampton’s problems last season, Puel said: “Is everything necessarily rational? Me, I can tell you that the club discovered matches every three days. That we had injuries, like (Charlie) Austin or Van Dijk, who is probably the best defender of Europe, today.
“We had to get out and we did it, we made an honourable Championship and we played a League Cup final at Wembley against Manchester United. It’s been twenty-five years since Southampton was waiting for a final and we deserved better than this defeat. I enjoyed all that.”
The Holland international was on the verge of joining Liverpool in the summer and it appeared to be a formality until they were accused of tapping the Holland international up in June.
Van Dijk subsequently tried to engineer a move to Anfield by handing in a transfer request but Southampton held firm in their desire to hold on to the £60million-rated ace.
The Mirror are among the many publications to claim that Liverpool will reignite their pursuit of the centre-back in January.
OPINION
Liverpool fans will be smacking their lips at the prospect of Van Dijk signing in January, especially after what is an astonishing comment from Puel given that Van Dijk has never played in the Champions League and the calibre of the likes of Sergio Ramos, Toby Alderweireld, Gerard Pique and Leonardo Bonucci. Southampton held firm in the face of the player’s sustained attempt to engineer a move to Merseyside in the summer, but it has done them little good. The Dutchman has played just six times after being initially frozen out following his return from a lengthy lay-off. Saints would be better off getting rid, and sharpening their malfunctioning attack, while Liverpool desperately need a commanding centre-back who does not get a nosebleed when the opposition have a corner. Van Dijk might also be a few quid cheaper in the winter window, which will please the Liverpool bean counters. Can the Dutchman help Liverpool win the league this season? No, that already appears beyond them. But he can make a huge difference to a cavalier team who are worryingly lop-sided.