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Juventus offer van Dijk and Southampton the perfect solution

By Rucker Haringey

NORWICH, ENGLAND - JANUARY 07: Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Virgil van Dijk and Shane Long of Southampton make a wall during the Emirates FA Cup Third Round match between Norwich City and Southampton at Carrow Road on January 7, 2017 in Norwich, England. (Photo by Stephen Pond/Getty Images)
NORWICH, ENGLAND - JANUARY 07: Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Virgil van Dijk and Shane Long of Southampton make a wall during the Emirates FA Cup Third Round match between Norwich City and Southampton at Carrow Road on January 7, 2017 in Norwich, England. (Photo by Stephen Pond/Getty Images) /
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Juventus would be a perfect home for Virgil van Dijk

Southampton would like to keep hold of Virgil van Dijk for years to come, but that isn’t a realistic dream. Instead, the Saints would be smart to think of Juventus’ interest in their talented defender as the perfect solution for their predicament.

The Saints deserve a ton of credit for resisting offers for van Dijk this summer. In the past, they would have bowed to pressure from a club like Liverpool and agreed to sell their valuable star for a massive profit. This time, the higher-ups at the South Coast club elected to stand their ground.

Ultimately, that kept van Dijk at Southampton this summer. The player clearly isn’t happy about his current situation. He won’t go on strike, but Southampton clearly aren’t going to get his best for the foreseeable future.

Given that reality, it makes sense for Southampton to move him during one of the next two transfer windows. Of course, selling him to a Premier League rival would cost the club a lot of face. No Southampton fan wants to see another high-profile star head to Liverpool. Selling van Dijk to another English power would only be slightly more palatable.

That’s why Southampton should react to reports of serious interest from Juventus enthusiastically. Selling van Dijk is never going to be a happy day, but shipping him outside the Premier League would greatly mitigate the club’s sadness.

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In a sense, that would allow Southampton to have their cake and eat it too. They could get rid of an unhappy player while receiving significant funds to reinvest to strengthen the squad. The Saints could also avoid the misery of playing against their former star in domestic competition for years to come.

The only possible downside is that Juventus likely won’t lodge the highest bid for van Dijk’s services. The Old Lady aren’t cheap when it comes to the transfer market, but they aren’t going to spend at the same level as Premier League powers like Chelsea, Manchester United or Liverpool. They’ll make Southampton a significant offer, but it won’t be the absolute most money the club can squeeze out of their most valuable asset.

Van Dijk should also push for a move to Italy. He may be comfortable living and playing in England, but stylistically Juventus might be the best club for him in Europe. They are consistently among the strongest defensive sides on the continent. Van Dijk could follow in the footsteps of defensive luminaries like Chiellini and Bonucci for The Old Lady.

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In a perfect world, Virgil van Dijk would retire as a Southampton legend. That isn’t realistic though. The Saints are going to sell him sooner, rather than later. Juventus would be the ideal landing spot for the player and both clubs.

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