Liverpool Transfer News: Virgil van Dijk Boost, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain Rumours

Southampton centre-back Virgil van Dijk has reportedly made it clear to his current club that Liverpool are the only side he wants to join this summer.

According to Steve Bates of the Sunday Mirror, the defender has advised Saints he wants to move on in the current window. Van Dijk is said to want to "push through a move to Anfield even though Liverpool were warned off last month for allegedly tapping up the defender after Saints complained to the Premier League."

As noted in the piece, while Liverpool apologised for their conduct and suggested they would be ending their interest in the player, links between the two have persisted. Van Dijk, said to be valued at around £50 million, has also been linked with Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea, per the report.

The performances turned in by Van Dijk in the first part of the 2016-17 season warrant such illustrious admiration. Per Squawka Football, the Dutchman is a tower of strength at the back:

The 26-year-old's season was curtailed in January due to an injury problem, although Van Dijk has shown enough in his two years in English football to show he is one of the best centre-backs in the division.

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He ticks all the boxes you'd expect from a modern-day centre-back. Van Dijk is a supreme athlete, is immensely powerful and is patient in his defensive play. Additionally, the former Celtic man is composed enough to stroll out of a back four and begin attacks with his neat passing.

Getting this one done may prove tricky for the Reds given their disagreement with Saints earlier in the window, and according to Bates, new manager Mauricio Pellegrino does not want to see the defender depart. As a result, you sense this saga is one that will run and run throughout the window.

Arsenal to Resist Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain Offers

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According to David Woods and Paul Brown of the Daily Star Sunday, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has advised the club to turn down any approaches for reported Liverpool target Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain this summer.

The England midfielder has just one year left to run on his current contract, and according to James Pearce of the Liverpool Echo, he's rejected an extension. Still, the Gunners are said to be unwilling to let the player leave in the upcoming window.

Oxlade-Chamberlain has struggled to secure a regular spot in the Arsenal side since arriving from Southampton in 2011, and at 23, he'll feel he's at a crucial point in his development.

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The Scouted Football Twitter account suggested the midfielder would benefit from Wenger's decision if he stayed at the Emirates Stadium:

Yet it's hard to shake off the sense that the versatile star would prosper from a fresh start elsewhere.

At times last season, Oxlade-Chamberlain was a starter, a substitute and was played in a variety of different roles. Now, having spent six years at Arsenal, it would have been anticipated that he would have made more progress and certainly had more clarity about what type of footballer he wants to be.

A manager like Jurgen Klopp would potentially aid that process, and the all-action style of football the German demands from his players seems to align well with Oxlade-Chamberlain's talents. Still, even at Anfield, it's tough to see the midfielder forging a key role in a side packed with quality in this area of the pitch.