Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho is reportedly targeting a move for Dutch centre-back Virgil van Dijk this summer.
Van Dijk has been a mainstay in the Southampton back line since his move from Celtic at the beginning of last season. The 25-year-old’s performances have been very impressive to say the least.
As a result there are no shortage of interested parties, with rivals City and Liverpool, as well as runaway Premier League leaders Chelsea all said to be keeping a close eye on the Dutchman’s situation.
Although Manchester United’s defensive play has improved significantly as the season has gone on (they have conceded the 3rd least amount of goals out of all teams in the Premier League to date), it’s easy to see van Dijk making a big impact at the club should he sign. The Dutchman was an integral part of a side that went on a run of 6 Premier League games without conceding a goal last season.
With Van Dijk’s long-term future very much up in the air, there are many reasons why he should leave Southampton and snub the rest to join United this summer.
Firstly, he’d get to play with global superstars like de Gea, Ibrahimovic and Pogba. The Dutchman will know that he has the added security of debatably the best keeper in the league behind him in de Gea, this relaxes defenders and could help Van Dijk settle quickly.
Furthermore, with the moneymen at United really backing Mourinho there’s sure to be plenty more superstars on the way in the future. United are abeing strongly linked with world-class Frenchman Antoine Griezmann. Playing alongside such talented players is something van Dijk would surely relish.
Another major factor that will be running through van Dijk’s head is trophies. Players are desperate to claim them and United certainly have the pedigree to match anyone in this department. The most successful team of the Premier League era, despite going through a transitional period, still managed to bag the FA Cup last term, and the EFL cup this season (at the expense of van Dijk’s Southampton).
There’s no doubt that United are a team that has a realistic chance of bagging major silverware in the years ahead. With a manager as successful as Mourinho at the helm, and a seemingly never ending pile of cash to throw around, the Red Devils are likely to be competing at the top table of English and European football before long. Van Dijk must be tempted to play a key role in the recovery of this footballing giant.