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Virgil van Dijk: Southampton defender training alone & wants move

By Ben FisherBBC Sport

Last updated on .From the section Footballcomments404

Virgil van Dijk
Virgil van Dijk missed the final five months of last season with an ankle injury sustained in January

Southampton captain Virgil van Dijk is training alone and wants to leave the club, says manager Mauricio Pellegrino.

Pellegrino has ordered the centre-back to train separately from the rest of the first-team squad because he feels the player is "not 100%" mentally.

Van Dijk, 26, has been strongly linked with a move to Liverpool this summer, although the Anfield club said they ended their interest last month.

The Saints remain adamant they will not sell the Netherlands international.

"He is not involved with the team because psychologically he is not 100%," Pellegrino said.

Speaking to BBC Radio Solent, the Argentine added: "When I was talking with him, the boy said that he is not available to play because he wants to leave.

"I need to work with a player that works at 100% to defend Southampton.

"This is the decision. I had to say: 'OK, if you don't want to be involved because you don't feel OK, you have to train alone until this period of time.'"

Mauricio Pellegrino
Mauricio Pellegrino replaced Claude Puel as Southampton manager on 23 June

Pellegrino insisted his relationship with Van Dijk remains "excellent" and that he hopes the Dutchman will "review" his decision.

"We need the player, but 100% - this is the question," the former Alaves boss added.

"I hope that Virgil can review his feelings, because you know that today players are big business - not just the player but behind him there is a lot of interest.

"I want to help the squad, I want to help Virgil but we need a player, I repeat, involved in every training session, involved not just with the body but with the mind on the pitch with the rest of the players."

Southampton start their Premier League campaign in four weeks' time at home to Swansea City at St Mary's.

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404 comments

  • Comment posted by EPH, at 17:07 21 Jul 2017

    Another spoiled player...if he wants to leave...make him pay his way out of his contract.

  • Comment posted by markswjg, at 17:09 21 Jul 2017

    At the end of the day he's under contract for another 5 years, just a shame football has turned into this tapping up circus. Money has ruined many aspects of the game

  • Comment posted by Baztheace1, at 17:10 21 Jul 2017

    Not sure who is the most underhanded here..Liverpool who were warned for their conduct but apologised afterwards or the player who appears to have thrown his rattle out of the pram. Saints should sell him but not to Liverpool which will really upset him

  • Comment posted by Ronaldeanio, at 18:24 21 Jul 2017

    Why don't Liverpool just sign Southampton's scouting department? Imagine how much money we could have saved!!

  • Comment posted by U15551638, at 17:25 21 Jul 2017

    Gotta love Utd fans objecting to Liverpool's tapping up when they have a manager already found guilty of the same. And as a club - anyone recall Rio Ferdinand returning from the world cup and handing in a transfer request, Dwight Yorke walking out on Villa? Hypocrits

  • Comment posted by TrojanOtter, at 17:15 21 Jul 2017

    I see Liverpool's tapping up stopped with their apology.

  • Comment posted by thegreatestsportfan, at 18:15 21 Jul 2017

    I see there are a couple of muppets on here that think only Liverpool tap up players.

  • Comment posted by footyfan, at 17:11 21 Jul 2017

    Let him rot I say

  • Comment posted by It Is Only Common Sense, at 17:46 21 Jul 2017

    Professional footballers have no loyalty to their club or the club's fans - they are mercenaries out for the biggest pay day possible.
    I'm fine with this - just cut out the hypocrisy, like kissing the badge and lavishly praising the fans.
    Do your job, always play as well as you can, and be grateful for the silly money you get paid.

  • Comment posted by NeutralRed, at 17:34 21 Jul 2017

    Let me put this out there for anyone wanting to listen.

    LFC have behaved appallingly in this matter and I cannot condone the behaviour of my club. In the past we were renowned for doing our transfer business quietly behind closed doors.

    If Barca now taps up Courtiho, we'll be in the same place Southampton are.

    It would seem tapping up players/managers is the new norm - which is wrong!

  • Comment posted by Howard Moon, at 17:16 21 Jul 2017

    Smart from Mauricio. Cast him out without shutting the door. Either they'll get their absurd asking price, or Van Dijk will have the opportunity to meekly ask for a chance. MP stays in control either way.

    Not a saints fan!

  • Comment posted by YorkshireBlue, at 17:18 21 Jul 2017

    Well, hands up who didn't see this coming from a million miles off. The most blatant case of tapping up in recent memory, LFC should be hauled over the coals for this. Their "apology" was nothing more than an addendum to the original tapping up, played out in the press!

  • Comment posted by ayrandy, at 17:29 21 Jul 2017

    Lost all respect for this player disgraceful way to act

  • Comment posted by swilsco, at 17:17 21 Jul 2017

    This is merely Southampton telling the world that they are prepared to sell him but only at the right number. Its a classic. They will presumably wait until as far as they can in the hope some clubs get a bit more frantic and then boom, sold.

  • Comment posted by jlea, at 17:11 21 Jul 2017

    If i was the manager id say ill only sell you outside the premier league.

  • Comment posted by Millwallfan93, at 17:33 21 Jul 2017

    No player is bigger than the club. Sell him and move on.

  • Comment posted by Stephen, at 20:28 21 Jul 2017

    Really unprofessional. If I was a Liverpool fan, I wouldn't want a player with this kind of attitude. What's to say he won't do the same in a few years when PSG are sniffing around? It's fine that he wants to leave, good for him. His agent is obviously setting up a big deal, and it's his right to pursue that. But refusing to play is just unacceptable for a pro, and all true fans should condemn it.

  • Comment posted by GunnerBear, at 17:21 21 Jul 2017

    When a team is caught tapping up they should be immediately banned from making signings or selling in the current and next transfer windows. If between windows then the next two. No appeals, no faffing, just painful bans.

  • Comment posted by Faz, at 00:36 22 Jul 2017

    @288

    He's not on strike. Your manager has told him to train alone because he put in a transfer request. Apart from that, it's exactly the same. You bought him from Celtic when Celtic did not want to sell him.

  • Comment posted by Auchenshooglekid, at 08:47 22 Jul 2017

    @328 The vast majority of clubs 'tap up'. Liverpool are no different to any one else. For some reason much more has been made of their efforts.

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