Liverpool have ended their interest in Virgil van Dijk and issued an apology a day after Saints asked the Premier League to investigate whether there had been an illegal approach for the Dutch defender.
Saints insist they have never had an offer for van Dijk, or entered into any form of negotiations with Liverpool, and remain adamant they want to keep hold of their star defender.
They were furious when a raft of newspaper stories appeared on Monday saying that van Dijk had agreed to join Liverpool, and that the 25-year-old had been impressed by Jurgen Klopp’s involvement in his pursuit.
As exclusively revealed by the Daily Echo, Saints took the step of asking the Premier League to investigate whether an illegal approach had been made, and redoubled their determination not to be bullied into selling their most prized asset.
In a remarkable turn of events, Liverpool have not only issued an apology for any “misunderstanding”, but have also confirmed they will now end their interest in signing van Dijk, who was reportedly their top summer transfer target.
In a statement the Anfield club said: “Liverpool Football Club would like to put on record our regret over recent media speculation regarding Southampton Football Club and player transfers between the two clubs.
“We apologise to the owner, board of directors and fans of Southampton for any misunderstanding regarding Virgil van Dijk.
“We respect Southampton's position and can confirm we have ended any interest in the player.”
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