Rumour Mongering: Dusting Off The VVD Klaxon

(Let’s be real: when it comes to VVD, we were never off our [redacted].)

Soooooooooooooooooooooo how’s it going? How’re the kids? Work going well? How’s that, uh, you know, that thing on your neck? Did you ever get that looked at? Oh good, I’m glad it wasn’t serious.

So, uh. Here’s the thing. That whole saga with Virgil van Dijk over the summer? It might not be over yet.

VVD was a late substitute in Southampton’s 1-0 away win over Crystal Palace. It was his first appearance for the senior team this season, after being kept away from the squad for filing a transfer request and agitating for a move to Liverpool (and then anywhere that wasn’t Southampton). Van Dijk played well enough and got a decent reception from the away fans.

After the game, Manuel Pellegrino had this to say about VVD:

“Hopefully yes, but now for me I have got this group of players and we try to push them, to help them, to work with them, to improve every single day. We never know how the market will be in January because we can bring some players because every single squad can improve. We have got people who are working to improve our squad all the time, and for the other teams it is the same. They will push to bring the best players. Virgil is one case because he is one of the best players in the Premier League and it is normal that the biggest teams in the Premier League want to sign him.”

So that’s... interesting.

There are also reports that Pellegrino, in fact, wanted to sell Van Dijk to another club, but that Southampton’s board of directors overruled him.

Is there a lot of meat to this story? Not really. Will we make a big ol’ meal out of it anyway? You bet your sweet ass we will.