Manchester City Transfer News: Latest Virgil van Dijk, Vincent Kompany Rumours

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola will reportedly make a move to sign Southampton centre-back Virgil van Dijk in January as a replacement for sidelined captain Vincent Kompany.

Per BBC Sport, the Belgian defender is set to be sidelined for between four and six weeks after picking up a knee injury, yet another knock in Kompany's battle for fitness. 

As a result, City will move to sign Dutchman Van Dijk—who has also been linked with Liverpool and Manchester United—as cover, with the Saints man valued at around £30 million, according to Paul Hetherington in the Daily Star Sunday.

Van Dijk, 25, has been brilliant so far in 2016-17 for Southampton and is comfortable with the ball at his feet, a skill Guardiola demands from his defenders.

As discussed by a BBC 5 live Sport panel, Van Dijk could fit into a number of the Premier League's top teams and would likely play alongside John Stones in City's first-choice centre-back pairing were he to move to the Etihad Stadium:

Saints will likely demand a hefty fee for him if they are to let him go as his form has been terrific. He is a target for numerous top clubs and his contract at St. Mary's Stadium runs until 2022.

City will be able to afford him, though, and may have to prepare to pay over the odds if a bidding war ignites for Van Dijk.

Should the Sky Blues snap him up it could spell the end for Kompany's City career, as the 30-year-old would struggle to make the starting XI ahead of Van Dijk, Stones and Nicolas Otamendi.

He has been an excellent servant for the club but his injury worries have been a major concern recently, with Belgian football writer Kristof Terreur outlining the extent of his problems:

Earlier in the season it was reported that Kompany was set to be axed by Guardiola before the City manager said he had no plans to get rid of his skipper, per Nick Lustig of Sky Sports.

However, should Van Dijk move to City, Kompany would become a less important part of Guardiola's squad and may even look elsewhere for first-team football if he becomes a peripheral figure.