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‘We felt he owed us’ – Ex-Southampton CEO admits handling of Virgil van Dijk transfer was ’embarrassing’
Virgil van Dijk’s then-record-breaking transfer to Liverpool in 2018 has become one of the most transformative in Premier League history. However, seven years on, an ex-Southampton executive in charge of the deal has admitted he is embarrassed by the saga in hindsight. Virgil van Dijk has been one of the best defenders in the world for yearsAFP Van Dijk completed a then-world record transfer for a defender when he sealed a £75million move to Liverpool in January 2018. He instantly endeared himself to the Kop by scoring an 84th-minute winner on his debut against rivals Everton in the FA Cup. The Dutchman has since become a Champions League winner and a two-time Premier League champion en route to becoming captain. Van Dijk even won UEFA Men’s Player of the Year in 2019 and finished just seven points behind Lionel Messi in that season’s Ballon d’Or. As such, it was little surprise that the Reds went to such lengths to sign him as their chief defensive target in the summer of 2017. Van Dijk was wanted by Chelsea and Manchester City but made it clear he wanted to move to Liverpool, who had reached the Champions League play-offs after a year’s absence from European competition. The 34-year-old exchanged texts with Jurgen Klopp and even met him in Blackpool, which provoked a furious Southampton response. The Saints complained to the Premier League of a clandestine approach, leading Liverpool to issue a public apology. In a statement, the Merseysiders declared they had ‘ended any interest in the player’ to prevent Southampton from filing a report. Van Dijk ultimately spent several more months on the south coast before he was allowed to join Liverpool in the following January. Van Dijk’s Southampton exit was a long, drawn-out sagaGetty The Dutchman was eventually allowed to join Liverpool six months later than plannedGetty Liverpool's 2017 statement on Virgil van Dijk In an official statement at the time, the club said: “Liverpool Football Club would like to put on record our regret over recent media speculation regarding Southampton Football Club and player transfers between the two clubs. “We apologise to the owner, board of directors and fans of Southampton for any misunderstanding regarding Virgil van Dijk. “We respect Southampton’s position and can confirm we have ended any interest in the player.” Southampton felt Van Dijk “owed us” Former Southampton CEO Martin Semmens reflected on the saga during an appearance live on talkSPORT earlier this month. The London City Lionesses executive claimed Liverpool’s conduct had angered the Saints, but forcing Van Dijk to stay ultimately backfired. “Virgil van Dijk was a big one for us,” he recalled on talkSPORT. “We treated him in a different way and said, ‘You can’t go’. It didn’t work well for us. “We didn’t [get him back on our side]. Virgil was fantastic, in my opinion, he trained at 75 [per cent] and played at 75 [per cent] and was still the best player in the team, if not the league. “He didn’t cause us any problems. He never said a single bad word to anyone, but he wanted to go, and it wasn’t effective for us to keep the player. Semmens insisted Van Dijk never said a negative word after the deal was called off “We kept him until January. It wasn’t good for the squad or the environment, but to be clear, Virgil never said one negative word to anybody. “We felt, at the time, we could get more if he stayed. He’d had a bad injury, I think he’d been out for six to nine months, and we felt that he owed us, which is embarrassing now, I think back to it. “There was also some contact from Liverpool we didn’t love. At that time, probably a little more for the morals, he had already met Klopp before he told us. “But in the end, he did a very good job for us, and we sold him for a good price.” Van Dijk pictured in Southampton training on December 20, 2017 – A week before his move to Liverpool was agreedGetty The defender was arguably the most important signing of Klopp’s tenureGetty Giovanni Leoni ‘as good as Van Dijk’ Liverpool fans fittingly got their first look at Leoni during the club’s 2-1 Carabao Cup win over Semmens’ old club, Southampton. The Italian hugely impressed on his first appearance since his £26m move from Parma before he suffered an injury. Liverpool will be desperate for Leoni to have avoided any major setback, having already started to deliver on Semmens’ high praise. Semmens helped bring the 18-year-old to Parma from Sampdoria last year and revealed the centre-back is Van Dijk’s successor in waiting. “Yeah, absolutely for me [Leoni is the heir to the Van Dijk throne],” Semmens told Matterface, Crook & Deeney on talkSPORT. Leoni is highly rated across Europe, and Liverpool acted qui
Virgil van Dijk’s then-record-breaking transfer to Liverpool in 2018 has become one of the most transformative in Premier League history.
However, seven years on, an ex-Southampton executive in charge of the deal has admitted he is embarrassed by the saga in hindsight.
Van Dijk completed a then-world record transfer for a defender when he sealed a £75million move to Liverpool in January 2018.
He instantly endeared himself to the Kop by scoring an 84th-minute winner on his debut against rivals Everton in the FA Cup.
The Dutchman has since become a Champions League winner and a two-time Premier League champion en route to becoming captain.
Van Dijk even won UEFA Men’s Player of the Year in 2019 and finished just seven points behind Lionel Messi in that season’s Ballon d’Or.
As such, it was little surprise that the Reds went to such lengths to sign him as their chief defensive target in the summer of 2017.
Van Dijk was wanted by Chelsea and Manchester City but made it clear he wanted to move to Liverpool, who had reached the Champions League play-offs after a year’s absence from European competition.
The 34-year-old exchanged texts with Jurgen Klopp and even met him in Blackpool, which provoked a furious Southampton response.
The Saints complained to the Premier League of a clandestine approach, leading Liverpool to issue a public apology.
In a statement, the Merseysiders declared they had ‘ended any interest in the player’ to prevent Southampton from filing a report.
Van Dijk ultimately spent several more months on the south coast before he was allowed to join Liverpool in the following January.
Liverpool's 2017 statement on Virgil van Dijk
In an official statement at the time, the club said:
“Liverpool Football Club would like to put on record our regret over recent media speculation regarding Southampton Football Club and player transfers between the two clubs.
“We apologise to the owner, board of directors and fans of Southampton for any misunderstanding regarding Virgil van Dijk.
“We respect Southampton’s position and can confirm we have ended any interest in the player.”
Southampton felt Van Dijk “owed us”
Former Southampton CEO Martin Semmens reflected on the saga during an appearance live on talkSPORT earlier this month.
The London City Lionesses executive claimed Liverpool’s conduct had angered the Saints, but forcing Van Dijk to stay ultimately backfired.
“Virgil van Dijk was a big one for us,” he recalled on talkSPORT. “We treated him in a different way and said, ‘You can’t go’. It didn’t work well for us.
“We didn’t [get him back on our side]. Virgil was fantastic, in my opinion, he trained at 75 [per cent] and played at 75 [per cent] and was still the best player in the team, if not the league.
“He didn’t cause us any problems. He never said a single bad word to anyone, but he wanted to go, and it wasn’t effective for us to keep the player.
“We kept him until January. It wasn’t good for the squad or the environment, but to be clear, Virgil never said one negative word to anybody.
“We felt, at the time, we could get more if he stayed. He’d had a bad injury, I think he’d been out for six to nine months, and we felt that he owed us, which is embarrassing now, I think back to it.
“There was also some contact from Liverpool we didn’t love. At that time, probably a little more for the morals, he had already met Klopp before he told us.
“But in the end, he did a very good job for us, and we sold him for a good price.”
Giovanni Leoni ‘as good as Van Dijk’
Liverpool fans fittingly got their first look at Leoni during the club’s 2-1 Carabao Cup win over Semmens’ old club, Southampton.
The Italian hugely impressed on his first appearance since his £26m move from Parma before he suffered an injury.
Liverpool will be desperate for Leoni to have avoided any major setback, having already started to deliver on Semmens’ high praise.
Semmens helped bring the 18-year-old to Parma from Sampdoria last year and revealed the centre-back is Van Dijk’s successor in waiting.
“Yeah, absolutely for me [Leoni is the heir to the Van Dijk throne],” Semmens told Matterface, Crook & Deeney on talkSPORT.
“We signed him the second year I was there in the summer, and I have a deep love for the likes of [Newcastle defender] Tino Livramento [for Southampton] and signing these young players. Romeo Lavia: This was the same kind of deal.
“I think it was clearly the best young centre back in Italy, if not Europe. And again, we sold him the vision to come to our club to play in Serie A.
“I think it was 17 when he started playing, and then when the right moment comes, you will go.
“Our understanding was the same with the keeper we bought, [Zion] Suzuki the Japanese keeper. Man United tried to buy him. That’s a rumour I can semi-confirm.
“The view was that they would probably stay there longer than one year, but Leoni was such a level, and again, I think it highlights Liverpool’s ability that they spotted that.
“There were other clubs in the Premier League that asked me about him – not as an Executive for Parma because I’d left by then, and I told them what I thought, and they didn’t follow through on it. Liverpool never called me.”
“Five or six Premier League teams asked me,” Semmens added. “I told them he’s as good as Virgil.”
“Liverpool never called me, never asked for a reference, because they’ve got such an ability to find those players. Top player!”
