Southampton manager Claude Puel believes star defender Virgil van Dijk will stay at the club beyond the summer.
The Dutchman has attracted hefty interest from a number of Premier League teams, with Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal said to be leading the race to sign the talented centre-back.
Saints would supposedly demand upwards of £50m to be convinced into selling Van Dijk this summer, with the 25-year-old penning a six-year deal at St. Mary’s last year.
However, Puel has now come out and said that he expects Van Dijk to remain at the south coast club upon his return to fitness.
Speaking ahead of Wednesday’s Premier League welcome of Arsenal, Van Dijk is quoted by Sky Sports as saying: "It was a bad injury, but now it's okay. The surgery is finished, he can work normally, he can start the gym work and rehab to come back for next season....and with us.
"He is our captain. He is important for us. He is a fantastic player. We will wait until the beginning of the season to see him again on the pitch. He has a long contract and I think the directors want to keep him.”
Van Dijk has been sidelined since sustaining an ankle injury against Leicester back in January.
For more stats on Virgil van Dijk, click here to view his WhoScored player page
