Virgil van Dijk: Southampton defender 'not for sale', says chairman
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Virgil van Dijk: Southampton will not sell defender - Ralph Krueger
Southampton captain Virgil van Dijk is "not for sale", according to club chairman Ralph Krueger.
The Netherlands centre-back, 26, handed in a transfer request last week and it is understood he wanted to move to Premier League rivals Liverpool.
"Virgil is not for sale this window - it's not personal," Krueger said of Van Dijk, who joined from Celtic in 2015.
Southampton are also considering a move for Lazio's Dutch defender Wesley Hoedt for a reported £15m fee., external
BBC Sport understands the 23-year-old is one of several centre-backs the club are considering as a potential partner for Van Dijk.
On Monday, Chinese businessman Jisheng Gao and his family completed a deal to buy 80% of the south coast club.
Krueger suggested that the Saints wanted some stability in their squad, adding:
"It's about an overall much, much, much bigger picture - a change of course for Southampton.
"We want to mature, we want to be a team that can profit from synergies that create a much more attractive football and a better product for the fans, and gives us a chance to get back into Europe.
"That's one player in this whole equation of 25 and it is the visible one. But for us it's the principle and it's the path and it's the statement we need to make to get to a new space as a club.
"We are very, very adamant about carrying this through."
Van Dijk did not feature in Saturday's Premier League opener against Swansea because of a virus. Saints manager Mauricio Pellegrino, who ordered the Dutchman to train alone in the summer, said before the weekend that he wants the defender to stay.
The Netherlands international been strongly linked with a move to Liverpool this summer as well as attracting interest from Premier League champions Chelsea and Manchester City.
However, the Anfield club said they ended their interest in June after Saints said they were going to report them to the Premier League for making an alleged illegal approach.
Van Dijk signed a new six-year contract in May 2016, having joined for £13m from Celtic in September 2015.
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