Wednesday 10 May 2017 19:00, UK
Southampton are determined to keep Virgil van Dijk but his future is already the subject of intense speculation. Ahead of their meeting with Arsenal on Wednesday night, we examine whether the in-demand defender would be a good fit for the Gunners.
Arsenal hoped they had solved their long-standing defensive issues when they parted with £35m to sign Shkodran Mustafi from Valencia last summer. But as we approach the end of a tumultuous season in north London, it is safe to say they still have plenty of room for improvement at the back.
The Gunners have conceded 42 goals on their way to what could be their lowest ever finish under Arsene Wenger. A win and clean sheet against Manchester United provided some temporary reprieve, but with four games of the campaign still to play, their defensive record is already among their worst in the Premier League era.
It's no surprise, then, that thoughts are already turning to the summer ahead. It's no surprise, either, that Virgil van Dijk's name keeps cropping up. The Southampton centre-back has been out with an ankle injury since January, but in two years on the south coast he has done more than enough to suggest he could cut it among the Premier League's elite.
Van Dijk's progress at St Mary's has been rapid. The former Celtic man won Southampton's player of the year award after helping them to a sixth-placed finish last season, and he has continued to grow in stature this year. Jose Fonte's departure saw Van Dijk promoted to captain, with Claude Puel hailing him as "a strong character and personality" who holds his side together on and off the pitch.
"He's a strong man, a strong player," the Southampton boss added. "He's physical and he's technical. We are lucky to have a player with his quality and his spirit as well because he is a winner. He gives always the example for the team, for the young players."
Those qualities seem to be in short supply at Arsenal. From the crushing defeats to Bayern Munich to the embarrassing losses against West Brom and Crystal Palace, Wenger's side have repeatedly crumbled in the face of adversity this season. Their lack of leadership was underlined when Wenger conceded he didn't know who was captaining his team during the second half of April's draw with Manchester City.
Van Dijk could fill that vacuum, and he could also help with some of their other big issues. Arsenal's recent defeat at Selhurst Park showed they are still vulnerable to a direct, physical style of play. According to Opta, 16 of the 42 goals they have conceded this season have come from set pieces. At almost 40 per cent, it's the highest proportion of any Premier League club.
Few players are more suited to dealing with that kind of threat than the 6ft 4ins Van Dijk. Since his arrival in the Premier League, the stats show he has won more aerial balls than any other defender. It's all the more impressive when you consider he has missed the last four months of this season.
Van Dijk's defensive attributes are his standout qualities - Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher describes him as an "outstanding all-round defender" - but crucially for a club like Arsenal, the 25-year-old is also accomplished with the ball at his feet. With a Dutch schooling behind him, he is comfortable playing out from the back and boasts a fine range of passing.
This year, he has registered an 84.2 per cent pass completion rate despite attempting more long balls per 90 minutes than any of his Southampton team-mates. Van Dijk is frequently the starting point when Puel's side transition from defence to attack. According to Opta, he has had a hand in five goals in 21 Premier League starts this season.
The issue for Arsenal, of course, is that extracting Van Dijk from St Mary's will not be straight-forward. Puel was bullish about keeping the defender at Southampton at his pre-match press conference this week, and recent newspaper reports suggest the south coast club wouldn't even consider offers below £50m.
Arsenal are not the only interested party either. Rumours linking Van Dijk with Liverpool intensified after his commanding performance against Jurgen Klopp's side in the EFL Cup semi-final in January, and he has also been mentioned as a possible target for Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United.
His future could be one of the stories of the summer. And while Arsenal might not be favourites for his signature, they will struggle to find someone more suitable when they come to consider defensive reinforcements.
