Southampton defender Virgil van Dijk reportedly  wants a move to Liverpool this summer, but may be keen on an Arsenal switch based on these quote taken from his Celtic days.

The Dutch centre back has handed in a transfer request at Southampton and is pushing for a move to one of the Premier League’s top sides, namely Liverpool. Arsenal have also been linked with van Dijk, but their interest doesn’t seem that serious.

The Gunners have always been thrown in seemingly for the sake of adding another top club in the mix. Liverpool have been the most linked and seems to be the only club van Dijk wants to join.

Hence, Football London digging up some old quotes from van Dijk while he was at Celtic is definitely clutching at straws. “Arsenal are an amazing club,” van Dijk said. “It’s a big club with a great history but so are Celtic and I’m very happy here just now.

“I just want to play well and we will see what happens in the future. There are stories but until there are bids I can’t say anything. I have ambitions but Celtic is an amazing club with a lot of history. There is no rush to leave but you never know in the future.”

Arsenal had been linked with van Dijk while he was a Celtic player, but obviously a move never materialised. Since joining Southampton, van Dijk has impressed people with his proactive style of defending and ability on the ball.

A move to Manchester City was mooted last season before an injury ruled him out for most of the second half of the season. A move away from Southampton seems inevitable this summer, but it’s very unlikely it’ll be to Arsenal.

The Gunners do have problems in defence ahead of their opening Premier League game, with Per Mertesacker, Laurent Koscielny, Shkodran Mustafi and Gabriel set to miss out. But I think it’s unlikely Arsene Wenger will sign a new centre-back regardless.