Virgil van Dijk Committed to Southampton Amid Liverpool Transfer Rumours

Southampton defender Virgil van Dijk has insisted he's committed to the club despite strong links with a summer move to Liverpool, though the Dutchman was coy when quizzed on his future. 

Van Dijk was the subject of an approach from the Reds in the previous window, but Liverpool were forced into publicly withdrawing their interest after a complaint was made to the Premier League by Southampton over an illegal approach for the player.

The 26-year-old lodged a transfer request in an attempt to get a move, but the south-coast club stood firm. And Van Dijk is adamant he is focused on Southampton, per Peter Howard of the Daily Echo.

"Firstly, I don't think it's appropriate to comment on anything that happened before," he said. "But I am giving 100 per cent for the club. I work hard every day, I help my team-mates, I'm positive and I want to win every game. I am happy and that's the most important thing so we will just see what happens."

Van Dijk has recently returned to the Southampton first team following a long-term injury layoff and is still searching for his best form. The Anfield Wrap's Paul Senior isn't quite convinced he'd be the right man for the Reds:

While Liverpool remain irresistible going forward, at the back they've found things tough under manager Jurgen Klopp—especially away from home.

Dejan Lovren has endured a torrid run of form lately, while Joel Matip has yet to completely convince for the Reds either. Joe Gomez, while a fine prospect, remains somewhat inexperienced at the highest level. It's why the pursuit of Van Dijk in the summer made plenty of sense.

Shaun Botterill/Getty Images

To play at the back under Klopp a centre-back must be composed on the ball, dynamic and comfortable in one-on-one situations. Van Dijk thrives in all of those areas, and he's a colossal presence in the air, too, as noted by WhoScored.com during the summer:

Southampton would have been hoping to build an exciting team around Van Dijk under Mauricio Pellegrino this season, though they're a side that's struggled to find top gear in 2017-18.

While the balance still isn't quite there at the back, at the sharp end of the field they've really found things difficult as they've failed to find the net in nine of their last 16 games. At the moment they don't look like a team that are ready to challenge for European spots.

Liverpool are, and with a couple of smart additions they'd be genuine title challengers. While Van Dijk would be tough to prise away in the January window, you sense interest in the former Celtic man will remain when the Reds make their transfer plans next summer. With other areas of the team in need of bolstering, perhaps Saints would be more willing to accept a massive fee.