Arsenal Transfer News: Latest Rumours on Virgil van Dijk and Jeison Murillo

Arsenal and Liverpool have reportedly held talks with representatives for Southampton defender Virgil van Dijk.

According to Steve Bates of the Sunday People, the race to sign the Netherlands international is set to hot up in the coming weeks, with the Gunners and the Reds making their move (h/t the Sunday Mirror). As well as the aforementioned duo, Manchester City are also said to be in the frame.

"Rival bosses Pep Guardiola, Arsene Wenger and Jurgen Klopp all want the commanding Dutchman to bolster their defensive options for next season," Bates noted. "Although it seems Van Dijk's first choice may be to team up with Guardiola, City's Spanish super-coach also has Juventus star Leonardo Bonucci and Aymeric Laporte of Athletic Bilbao also on his radar."

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Van Dijk would be a superb signing for any of the teams said to be linked with him. The Saints star has excelled in his two seasons in the Premier League, developing into one of the standout centre-backs in the division.

He's been a colossal presence at St Mary's Stadium. The Dutchman is so dominant in his defensive work, regularly winning aerial battles, tracking runners carefully and showcasing excellent timing in his tackles. Additionally, he's a brilliant distributor.

As WhoScored.com noted, before his injury layoff, the 25-year-old also chipped in with his fair share of goals:

Arsenal spent big to sign Shkodran Mustafi ahead of this campaign, and while he started the season well, he's been plagued by inconsistency recently. Even so, the Gunners could do with more quality at the base of their side.

However, looks like there'll be a massive scrap to secure one of the Premier League's brightest centre-backs. While he's not featured since January, Van Dijk's displays earlier in the campaign will ensure plenty of clubs want the defender on board. If Arsenal can get him ahead of Liverpool and City, it would be some acquisition.

Jeison Murillo Linked

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According to TuttoMercatoWeb (h/t the Sunday Mirror), Arsenal are one of a clutch of clubs considering a move for Inter Milan centre-back Jeison Murillo.

The report noted that while the Colombia international's contract with the San Siro outfit runs until 2020, he is open to a change of scenery this summer. As well as the Gunners, Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur, Leicester City, Borussia Dortmund and Olympique de Marseille are all named as suitors.

Murillo arrived at Inter with a reputation as a rising star in 2015, and while he's struggled at times, in the second half of this campaign, he's improved. Here's a look at what he can offer:

It would be fascinating to see where Murillo would fit in at the Emirates Stadium, as he certainly wouldn't be an instant starter like Van Dijk. Here's a look at how he compares in league matches this season to the Dutchman and Laurent Koscielny:

	Murillo	Van Dijk	Koscielny
Apps (Sub)	20 (4)	21	29
Goals	0	1	2
Tackles per game	2.1	1.9	1.5
Interceptions per game	1.9	2.6	2.9
Clearances per game	3.1	6.8	6.2
Blocks per game	0.4	0.7	0.6
Passing accuracy	86.6%	84.2%	87.8%

There are times when Murillo does let his concentration slip, and consequently, his positioning can let him down. But he relishes his defensive duties and uses the ball well.

Koscielny and Mustafi showed brilliant promise as a pairing earlier in the campaign, but when one of the duo is missing, there are doubts about understudies Gabriel Paulista, Per Mertesacker and Rob Holding. Murillo is a man who'd add some crucial depth to the position.