Virgil Van Dijk has now officially demanded to leave Southampton Football Club, although this does not mean he will neccessarily be sold.

The statement from Van Dijk reads.

“It is with regret that I can confirm that I have today handed in a transfer request to leave Southampton football club.

“Unfortunately I feel I have no alternative after I was given notice of the club’s intention to impose a disciplinary sanction against me of a fine equivalent to 2 weeks wages.

“I will be appealing what I feel to be an unjustified sanction and their inability to follow the correct disciplinary protocol in due course.

“Over the past six months I have held numerous discussions with representatives of the board, the former manager Claude Puel as well as the new manager Mauricio Pellegrino to inform them all of my desire to leave the club in search of a new challenge.

“I am incredibly ambitious and want to achieve as much as I possibly can to fulfil my potential in what is a very short career as a professional footballer. I want to play European football again and challenge for major honours and as such I would like Southampton to consider the interest in me from top clubs should it still exist.

“I have been left frustrated by the club’s position that I am not for sale and am disappointed that enquiries from multiple top clubs have been consistently rebuffed.”

“The period of time that I have just spent injured and unable to play has put a number of things into perspective and made me realise just how important it is to take major opportunities should they arise.

“I have consistently relayed my feelings to senior management at Southampton in what I believed to be private and personal conversations. Disappointingly, these conversations have regularly found their way into the media.

“I would also like to make clear that I have never once refused to train. I can confirm that I was asked about my frame of mind and for all of the reasons mentioned above I was open and honest in saying that I did not feel I was in a settled mindset given the circumstances.

“Following this conversation the manager explained that he only wanted players who he felt were 100% committed to Southampton and told me I would therefore have to train away from the first team.

“As a proud professional I am insulted by the suggestion that it was me who refused to train and so feel it is important to point out the true version of events.

“I had very much hoped to retain the good relationship I’ve always enjoyed with everyone at the club, especially the fans, but unfortunately in light of everything that’s happened this has now been seriously affected.

“I would like to make clear that I have nothing but gratitude to everyone at Southampton for giving me the opportunity to play in the Premier League.

“However, the time for me to move on is now and I hope to be able to work with the club to find the best resolution to suit all parties.”

I would not think many Saints supporters feel much sympathy for Van Dijk, yes he is upset that the club is imposing disciplinary proceedings against him, but then again all Saints supporters are upset that he was not in a settled mindset to train, he should be a professional and let us be blunt he is not the first player in the history of the game who has been denied a move when under contract to a club, the difference is most go about things the right way and continue to fufill the terms of that contract by training and playing, to be blunt Van Dijk hasn't suffered a personal tragedy such as a death in the family, he has merely been told that he cant get his own way all of the time.

He says he is insulted by the suggestion that he has refused to train, I personally as a Southampton supporter am insulted by the fact that a player who earns more in a week than most of our supporters earn in two years is not playing in our first team and is not fufilling the terms of his contract. I am insulted that he has gone behind the back of the club who have been paying him well for the last six months whilst he has been unable to play and spoken to another club illegally.

Whatever way you want to dress it up he has admitted himself he is not in the right frame of mind and that is why he is not in the squad.

Saints have now taken off the kid gloves, they have clearly had enough of the behaviour of a player who was once considered a model professional and have taken disciplinary measures, clearly this has pushed the issue to breaking point and it now looks that there is no return for the player although ironically Louis Suarez had a similar psoition a few years ago and stayed and played another year before going to Barcelona.

Saints are showing that they are in no mood to sell and Van Dijk has finally realised that and doesn't like it one bit, he feels that he can break a contract as and when he wants.

The irony is if he and allegedly Liverpool had gone about things the right way then the move would probably have happened, but it seems both of them wanted to get things done slyly and on the cheap.

It is a sad day for Southampton Football Club and a sad day for football when players try to have it both ways, Saints have been fair with Van Dijk and honest with him he has not done the same, when he complains that conversations between club and player have found their way into the media, perhaps he should consider how the media interest started with Liverpool bragging that they were close to a deal.

Saints have not commented on what Van Dijk has or has not said in the media nor have they leaked it, all along they have said that it was the managers choice for him not to be in the squad, all along they said that they hoped he would rejoin the squad, they handed him olive branches and at no time did they comment on what he had said to them privately.

A year ago he was happy at Southampton FC, then in December last year he changed agents to Rob Jansen, the man who lured Ronald Koeman to Everton, read into that what you like, this site predicted the outcome in an article back then, now it is coming true.

Photo: Action Images

Jesus_02 added 01:54 - Aug 8 so while he has been receiving treatment and £1.7m he has been considering how vulnerable he is with a 5.5 years left on his deal worth a total of £18.5m. I wonder how much regret he would have had taking that money of Saints if it was a career ending injury
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nysaint added 02:04 - Aug 8 DICK van dick
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Stormz added 02:27 - Aug 8 Well, what a saga! Van D!ck/Liverhampton just wanted to save money by not handing in a transfer request. He's behaved totally unprofessionally, and I'm sure other clubs will take notice of his/his agents tactics/behaviour. Other clubs may not want to have a player like him who will probably want to jump ship for more money after a year or two. I'd say he's really limited his future employment options. He may not play for Southampton (or anyone) until January (and then not to Liverhampton), and that will ruin his chances to be in the Dutch squad for the World Cup. Good. He doesn't deserve to play in the World Cup after this behaviour. Here's his agent btw: https://www.globesoccer.com/rob-jansen/ So, how long before Saints can get in a decent replacement or two? We're still short at the back.

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TeamCortese added 06:59 - Aug 8 Whilst I don't condone his actions. I think we've brought this upon ourselves with our selling mentality...The link below speaks for itself. http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p05bt9lb However, I think we're doing the right thing. We should let him rot in the reserves for a year. Teach him a lesson! Let him regret his decision...He said football is a sort career after all...WELL SHUT YOUR MOUTH AND GET ON WITH THE FOOTBALL! I really want him not to play in the world cup. F*****g P****! I just don't understand why we didn't go in for Zouma and Ake. Stoke got Zouma on loan and Ake went to Bournemouth permanently. If we even had one of those two in our squad, his statement wouldn't have a leg to stand on.

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Gadge60 added 07:17 - Aug 8 Totally agree with the article. Agents are very destructive. Les stick to your guns and do what is best for SFC. Personally I don't care where he ends up now but if it has to be lfc then make them pay through the nose.
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REEDYREEDOREEDZ added 09:31 - Aug 8 Agents are ruining the game. Constantly in players ears, telling them how good they are, how they need to be playing for a big club, Champions League, league titles, trophies, reach your potential, short careers, you deserve more, look at what this player's earning, are you not ambitious? don't you want to win things? don't you want to be the best? Oh you do? Well let's get you a move!! Agents are only in the game to make as much money as they possibly can. Pure greed. And greed is ruining the game. They are experts at unsettling players. Southampton will never be able to hold on to their best players because there will always be bigger clubs. The whole system needs to change. There needs to be a worldwide salary cap of £50k per week including all bonuses. Abolish transfer fees. The longest contract can only be for 2 years but players must honour thier contracts and after 1 year they either renew thier deal or leave for a free at the end of the following season. Players base thier decisions on football and loyalty rather than money. Fundemental changes are needed or whatever soul is left in football will be gone before we know it.

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frogger100 added 13:34 - Aug 8 Just love the way he whinges,in his statement, how upset he is that saints havent followed the correct disciplinary protocol! What???!! Like he followed the correct transfer protocol, shady meetings in Blackpool not long after signing a new contract with Saints! Mr Van Dyke, you are a prat!
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Braveheart added 13:38 - Aug 8 He has disgraced the club and should be taken to court for breach of contract. He should be put out on loan to any other club but Liverpool or be made to stay in the wilderness for another season. How can anyone so young and stupid hold the club to reason like this? Why can’t the board grow a pair and tell him what is going to happen instead of the other way round. They say SFC is not a top club, but they all nowhere to come for quality players. We as supporters are being rode rough shod over and it’s about time the club showed us some respect.

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frogger100 added 13:41 - Aug 8 I know ive spelt his name wrong, Van Dijk, Van Dick, Van dyke, doesnt matter, either way he's still a prat, and his accent in Mary Poppins was shit too!
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the_saint added 13:44 - Aug 8 It does not give them the right bstokesaint it's just their set up is so crap they need to chuck money around as they can't scout and find there own. And they still dream they are a top club.
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