Southampton have reportedly upped their asking price for defender Virgil van Dijk to £75m following the breakdown of his proposed move to Liverpool.
The 25-year-old appeared to be on course for a summer switch to Anfield in a deal worth a reported £50m, having told the club that he would prefer a move to Merseyside ahead of Manchester City or Chelsea.
However, amid reports that Southampton had called on the Premier League to investigate an illegal approach from Liverpool for the Dutchman, the Reds subsequently ended their interest and apologised to the Saints yesterday.
With Man City and Chelsea still interested, The Mirror reports that Southampton are keen to incite a bidding war which could drive Van Dijk's price up to as high as £75m.
Van Dijk only signed a new six-year deal at St Mary's last summer but is understood to be keen to leave and is willing to push through a move if necessary.
Should Southampton successfully force the price up towards £75m then Van Dijk would become the most expensive defender in football history.
Barney Corkhill
