Manchester City Transfer News: Latest Rumours on Virgil van Dijk and Samir Nasri

Manchester City will reportedly have to part with a world-record transfer fee for a defender if they want to sign Virgil van Dijk from Southampton in the January window.

According to Sam Wallace of the Daily Telegraph, the Saints have slapped a whopping £60 million valuation on the Dutchman, who is said to be a possible target for both City and Everton in the midseason market.

In the report, Wallace added that City are ready to pay £50 million to bring Van Dijk to the Etihad Stadium, a fee that would match the amount Paris Saint-Germain paid for David Luiz in 2014, the highest ever for a defender.

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Southampton will feel their valuation of Van Dijk is warranted, as he has excelled since moving to the Premier League from Celtic in 2015. In his column for the Daily Mail, former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher spoke of his admiration for the player, insisting he would be a "bargain" for £40 million.

"He's powerful, composed and durable — he's barely missed a game since he has been on the south coast," said the Reds icon. "He has a big future in front of him."

As we can see here courtesy of Sky Sports MNF, Carragher and ex-Manchester United man Gary Neville included Van Dijk in their XI of the season so far:

With good reason, too. Van Dijk has blossomed with Southampton, first under former manager Ronald Koeman and now under Claude Puel. Aside from being indomitable in physical battles, the Dutchman is an expert reader of the game and—something that would certainly appeal to City boss Pep Guardiola—is a wonderful distributor, too.

The 25-year-old's best years are arguably still ahead of him, so it would be no surprise if Southampton were holding out for the aforementioned amount. But given City are in desperate need of defensive reinforcements, it's a valuation they will surely still consider matching.

Sevilla Want to Sign Samir Nasri

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According to Jose Manuel Garcia of El Confidencial (h/t Lucas Sposito of Sport Witness), Samir Nasri could make his loan switch to Sevilla permanent at the end of the season for a fee of €25 million (£21 million).

It's noted in the report that the Frenchman is enjoying his time in Andalusia, where he is thriving under manager Jorge Sampaoli. However, the loan agreement doesn't include an option to buy at the end of the term.

Sevilla will reportedly attempt to get a deal done anyway and, given Nasri is 29 with two years left on his City contract, will look to negotiate a fee for less than the sum noted.

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Having struggled with form and fitness in recent seasons, the Frenchman has found his feet again at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium. Sevilla are third in La Liga, into the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League and playing some of the most attractive football anywhere in Europe.

However, Sky Sports' Guillem Balague noted recently that Guardiola hasn't yet ruled out a future for Nasri at City: 

With Ilkay Gundogan set for a long spell on the sidelines, City could do worse than look to the 29-year-old next season. After all, he's been in exceptional form for Sevilla, excelling in different positions, working hard and leading by example.

The key for Nasri is to ensure he continues getting regular football, as a glut of minutes have ultimately underscored his recent renaissance. Even with Gundogan out, and David Silva, Kevin De Bruyne, Yaya Toure, Nolito, Raheem Sterling and Leroy Sane all battling for attacking spots in the side, we surely wouldn't see as much of the playmaker if he did return.