Chelsea have offered fellow Premier League club Southampton £50m for the services of Dutch centre-back Virgil Van Dijk as manager Antonio Conte looks to strengthen his defence for the upcoming season, according to a report from The Times.
Conte has been monitoring Van Dijk’s situation since the end of last season and is now ready to beat competition from Liverpool and Manchester City for his signature.
The Italian already had the move planned in his head since the January transfer window and the London club are hopeful that their £50m offer will be accepted before the first fixture of the new Premier League season next weekend.
Southampton are determined not to sell Van Dijk and have publicly stated on numerous occasions that the defender will not be sold.
The 26-year-old defender wants to leave Southampton and make a move to a bigger club in an attempt to win silverware and has told the club of his desire to play his football elsewhere.
He has been ordered to train alone by new manager Mauricio Pellegrino, who has also confirmed that Van Dijk will play no part in their season opener against Swansea City.
The Blues have already strengthened their defence through the addition on Antonio Rudiger but Conte is keen to add more depth as they look to successfully defend their Premier League crown as well as challenge in the UEFA Champions League.
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