Manchester United Transfer News: Virgil van Dijk, Jose Fonte Rumours Dismissed

Southampton manager Claude Puel has dismissed speculation linking reported Manchester United targets Virgil van Dijk and Jose Fonte with a move away from the club.

According to Samuel Luckhurst of the Manchester Evening News, the Red Devils have been looking at Van Dijk after his impressive start to the season, although they accept that chances of getting a deal done in January are “remote.” Per Duncan Castles of the Daily Record, Fonte was noted as a possible target for United during the summer.

However, when asked about the prospect of either player leaving in the January window, Puel shut the speculation down, per Rob Dawson of the Manchester Evening News:

"

All the players are in the club’s project, and for this season it is important to continue this work with good spirit and this is true with all the players. 

It is just rumour and it’s not important for me. Jose has a contract and after I don’t speak about the contract of the players [sic]. It’s a story between the club and the player and this is private.

"

The central-defensive positions will be of concern to United manager Jose Mourinho, who has not been able to settle on a regular partnership since arriving at the club. 

Eric Bailly, a summer signing from Villarreal, impressed in the early stages of his Red Devils career, although he’s currently sidelined with an injury problem. Chris Smalling is also out, while there are doubts over the credentials of Daley Blind, Marcos Rojo and Phil Jones.

Here is a look at how the Southampton pair have fared in statistical comparison to United’s star defender this season:

A potential pursuit of either Fonte or Van Dijk would be understandable on the part of Mourinho. The latter has particularly excelled in the Premier League this season, raising his levels after a fine debut term. 

The Dutchman is arguably the most multifaceted defender in the division. Not only is Van Dijk a physical behemoth, but he’s exceptional in the air, strong in the tackle and a very capable distributor of the ball, too. Iain Macintosh of ESPN FC thinks he’d be a superb acquisition for United:

While Van Dijk’s defending is flashy, Fonte’s is much more understated. The Portugal international has held together the Southampton defence for years, setting a tremendous example with his authority and aggression.

	Van Dijk	Fonte	Bailly
Apps	13	12	9
Tackles per game	2	1.3	2.3
Interceptions per game	2.5	2	3.3
Clearances per game	6.8	5.7	6.1
Blocks per game	0.7	0.5	0.6
Passing accuracy	83.7%	85.6%	88.9%

Granted, at 32, he’s the far more senior of the two defenders, and subsequently, if United were keen to bring him in, they wouldn’t be getting too much in terms of longevity. But at this point in time, of the two defenders, he’s surely the one Saints would be happier to let go.

These numbers from Squawka Football sum up just how consistent the Southampton captain has been in his defensive duties over the past few seasons:

Saints fans would love to see them dig their heels in and keep both men for the long term. However, history shows that when Southampton receive decent offers for their star players, they’re happy to move them on, safe in the knowledge they’ll find a capable replacement.

What they haven’t done in the past is sell these vital players in the January window. Puel will be aware of how important each of these men are to Saints' enjoying a successful season. Subsequently, if United want to secure immediate defensive reinforcements, they’ll most likely have to widen their search beyond St Mary's.