Former Chelsea star Pat Nevin revealed why the Blues and Manchester United passed up a chance to sign Virgil van Dijk from Celtic.
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Man Utd and Chelsea refused to sign Van DijkWas available for £10m while at Celtic Van Dijk's Anfield future remains uncertainFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Chelsea and United were offered a chance to sign van Dijk for just £10million ($12m) when the Dutchman was playing for Celtic. However, the Premier League giants rejected the opportunity as they were unsure of the player's quality at that time, as per ex-Scotland international Nevin.
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Speaking to , the 61-year-old said: "When it comes to Premier League clubs being unsure over signing players from Scotland, I remember being told by Manchester United and Chelsea that Virgil van Dijk made too many mistakes – but that’s because he was bored.
"Can you imagine how different things might have been if David Moyes had signed Virgil van Dijk? He ended up at Southampton and then Liverpool but teams didn’t want to pay the £10 million when he was at Celtic. Big money moves from Scotland to England are rare because teams are sceptical."
Getty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE
Van Dijk spent two years in Scotland before moving to England in 2015 where he first signed for Southampton and then moved to Liverpool in January 2018. At Anfield, the Dutchman established himself as one of the best defenders in the world and won every major trophy on offer with the Reds. In the 2018-19 season, Van Dijk was named UEFA Men's Player of the Year as he beat stalwarts like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo to bag the award.
AFPWHAT NEXT FOR VIRGIL VAN DIJK?
Uncertainty looms over the 33-year-old's future at Anfield as he has entered the final six months of his contract and is yet to put pen to paper on a fresh deal. He will be next seen in action on Tuesday as Arne Slot's side takes on Nottingham Forest in the Premier League.