Having been linked with a move to St Mary’s throughout the summer, Virgil van Dijk eventually completed his move from Celtic to Southampton on deadline day. The 24-year-old defender joins the Saints for a reported fee of £13 million, and has penned a five-year contract with the south coast club.
Speaking to the club’s official website about the signing of van Dijk, Executive Director of Football Les Reed explained how the Dutch U21 International has been on the radar of the Saints for some time:
“We’ve had Virgil in our system for a long time and have explored the possibility of signing him in previous transfer windows, and this year we had a really strong opportunity to do it. The Champions League had an effect on the moment of release, which we were aware of, so it was about keeping our focus and doing our due diligence before eventually getting him over the line… Virgil has signed a long-term contract, so clearly sees a strong future here with us. He’s young, hungry and wants to prove himself.”
THE HISTORY
Van Dijk began his career with Dutch side Willem II in 2009, before transferring to Groningen a year later. He made his professional debut against ADO Den Haag in April 2011, and went on to establish himself as a regular starter during the following two seasons, racking up 57 league appearances, and scoring five goals.
His performances for Groningen attracted interest from Celtic, and the Scottish side swooped for Van Dijk in the summer of 2013, signing the defender for a fee of around £2.6 million. The Dutchman picked up league winners medals in both his two full seasons north of the border, while he was also named Players’ Player of The Year for the 2013/14 campaign. In total he made 75 league appearances for The Bhoys, scoring nine goals, while he has played in both the Champions League and the Europa League during his time in Scotland.
The centre-back has represented Holland at under-19 and under-21 levels, but has yet to make an appearance for the senior national side.
THE PROSPECTS
Given the hefty transfer fee involved, Van Dijk looks likely to partner skipper Jose Fonte at the heart of Southampton’s defence and help fill the void left by Toby Alderweireld from last season. Maya Yoshida has started every Premier League match so far but is now expected to provide back-up, along with loanee Steven Caulker, unless manager Ronald Koeman looks to play with three at the back again as he did in the Gameweek 3 clash at Watford.
Comparing last season’s defensive statistics for the trio – although only data from Van Dijk’s eight Europa League appearances are available for analysis – the former Celtic defender fared best when it came to interceptions, averaging 3.4 per match, compared to 2.0 for both Yoshida and Caulker in the Premier League last term. The Japan international does hold the edge when it comes to tackles (1.6) per match, whereas Van Dijk only averaged 0.6, while Caulker tops the charts for blocks made with 1.0 per match in the 2014/15 campaign, compared to 0.6 for Van Dijk.
The fact that Van Dijk has been handed a price tag of 5.5 in Fantasy Premier League (FPL) further suggests the Dutch defender is expected to be a starter at St Mary’s, with Fonte and left-back Ryan Bertrand also initially valued at 5.5, although both are now available for 5.4 in FPL. This makes Cedric Soares and Maarten Stekelenburg – at 5.0 apiece – the cheapest routes into the Saints’ backline right now, though the right-back’s owners will be a little concerned after he was subbed off midway through the second period in two of the first four Gameweeks.
What Van Dijk does have in his favour is his attacking potential, with the six foot four inch defender a strong aerial threat from set-pieces, while he has also scored a number of goals from direct free-kicks. With neither of the Saints’ dead-ball experts, Dusan Tadic and James Ward-Prowse, nailed on starters at St Mary’s, Van Dijk could well be handed some opportunities from set-pieces.
In terms of possible defensive returns, Southampton have registered back-to-back shut-outs after conceding five goals in their first two matches. The upcoming fixtures (wba, MUN, SWA, che, LEI, liv) suggest Koeman’s side will do well to maintain their recent impressive defensive displays, perhaps affording Fantasy managers the chance to initially make sure Van Dijk does earn a regular spot in the starting XI, and also handing us the opportunity to assess where he stands in the pecking order as regards to set-piece duties.
Certainly, if Van Dijk establishes himself alongside Fonte as we expect, there’s no doubt the 5.5-priced defender could see him emerge as an attractive option when Southampton’s fixtures turn favourably from Gameweek 11 onwards.
The genuine possibility of returns at either end of the pitch is always an attractive proposition for Fantasy managers, and with the Saints backline handing us plenty of reliable options over the past two seasons, in addition to their early exit from the Europa League, Van Dijk could definitely emerge as a popular choice for our five-man backlines as the season develops.
