Southampton are resolved to keep Virgil van Dijk however his future is as of now the subject of extreme hypothesis. In front of t Iheir meeting with Arsenal on Wednesday night, we analyze whether the sought after protector would be a solid match for the Gunners.
Munititions stockpile trusted they had comprehended their long-standing cautious issues when they separated with £35m to sign Shkodran Mustafi from Valencia the previous summer. Be that as it may, as we approach the finish of a tumultuous season in north London, it is sheltered to state regardless they have a lot of opportunity to get better at the back.
The Gunners have yielded 42 objectives on their approach to what could be their most minimal ever complete under Arsene Wenger. A win and clean sheet against Manchester United gave some brief respite, however with four amusements of the crusade still to play, their protective record is as of now among their most exceedingly terrible in the Premier League time.
It's nothing unexpected, then, that musings are now swinging to the mid year ahead. It's nothing unexpected, either, that Virgil van Dijk's name keeps springing up. The Southampton focus back has been out with a lower leg damage since January, however in two years on the south drift he has accomplished all that anyone could need to recommend he could cut it among the Premier League's tip top.
Van Dijk's advance at St Mary's has been quick. The previous Celtic man won Southampton's player of the year grant subsequent to helping them to a 6th put complete last season, and he has kept on developing in stature this year. Jose Fonte's flight saw Van Dijk elevated to skipper, with Claude Puel hailing him as "a solid character and identity" who holds his side together on and off the pitch.
"He's a solid man, a solid player," the Southampton manager included. "He's physical and he's specialized. We are fortunate to have a player with his quality and his soul also in light of the fact that he is a champ. He gives dependably the case for the group, for the youthful players."
Those qualities appear to be hard to find at Arsenal. From the devastating annihilations to Bayern Munich to the humiliating misfortunes against West Brom and Crystal Palace, Wenger's side have over and again disintegrated notwithstanding affliction this season. Their absence of administration was underlined when Wenger surrendered he didn't know who was captaining his group amid the second 50% of April's draw with Manchester City.
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Van Dijk could fill that vacuum, and he could likewise help with some of their other enormous issues. Weapons store's current annihilation at Selhurst Park indicated they are as yet powerless against an immediate, physical style of play. As indicated by Opta, 16 of the 42 objectives they have yielded this season have originated from set pieces. At just about 40 for each penny, it's the most noteworthy extent of any Premier League club.
Couple of players are more suited to managing that sort of danger than the 6ft 4ins Van Dijk. Since his entry in the Premier League, the details demonstrate he has won more flying balls than whatever other shield. It's all the more noteworthy when you consider he has missed the most recent four months of this season.
Van Dijk's cautious traits are his champion qualities - Sky Sports savant Jamie Carragher depicts him as an "extraordinary all-round shield" - however urgently for a club like Arsenal, the 25-year-old is likewise refined with the ball at his feet. With a Dutch tutoring behind him, he is happy with playing out from the back and gloats a fine scope of passing.
This year, he has enrolled a 84.2 for every penny pass finish rate regardless of endeavoring more long balls per a hour and a half than any of his Southampton colleagues. Van Dijk is every now and again the beginning stage when Puel's side move from guard to assault. As indicated by Opta, he has contributed to five objectives in 21 Premier League begins this season.
The issue for Arsenal, obviously, is that removing Van Dijk from St Mary's won't be straight-forward. Puel was bullish about keeping the protector at Southampton at his pre-coordinate public interview this week, and late daily paper reports recommend the south drift club wouldn't much consider offers beneath £50m.
Armory are by all account not the only invested individual either. Bits of gossip connecting Van Dijk with Liverpool heightened after his summoning execution against Jurgen Klopp's side in the EFL Cup semi-last in January, and he has likewise been specified as a conceivable focus for Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United.
His future could be one of the stories of the mid year. And keeping in mind that Arsenal won't not be top picks for his mark, they will battle to discover somebody more appropriate when they come to consider cautious fortifications.
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