Tuesday 28 February 2017 00:01, UK
Virgil van Dijk will not be allowed to leave Southampton in the summer, according to chairman Ralph Krueger.
Reports in the national press have linked Liverpool and Manchester City with summer moves for the Netherlands defender, who has been exceptional for Saints since joining from Celtic in September 2015.
Van Dijk was rewarded with a new six-year contract last May and was named Saints captain following the departure of Jose Fonte to West Ham in January.
Krueger insists Southampton have no intention of selling Van Dijk, who is currently on the sidelines with an ankle injury, and hopes to build a team around the 25-year-old.
"We are just out of the January transfer window and are striving to keep this group together and to build on it," Krueger said.
"Virgil is very committed us for a long time and we don't see anything but that in our future. He is our team captain and we don't see him anywhere else than in red and white stripes."
Southampton have allowed star names including Morgan Schneiderlin, Nathaniel Clyne, Sadio Mane, Adam Lallana and Victor Wanyama to leave St Mary's in previous transfer windows.
However, Krueger said: "We don't want to do what we did in the last three summers every year.
"We would like to move away from that and we feel confident this summer will be a lot quieter in Southampton and we can keep the core of this team moving forward for a few years.
"That is going to be important when you see how excellent the group is right now and how exciting the football is.
"The game we are playing is a pleasure to watch and a pleasure to be part of."
