There are a lot of teams that are looking to improve both sides of their squads during this upcoming winter transfer window, as the second half of this year’s Premier League promises to be a tournament for the ages since the competitivity of the tournament has raised even more during this current season.
Most of the headlines are taken by the offensive players and the forwards, as fans love goals and scores are what actually make people go to stadiums, but if you don’t have a solid defence, it’s completely impossible to actually win a title.
So, winning teams know they have to lock their defence as well if they want to actually succeed and become champions, and several teams would be on the hunt for some defensive talent during this January’s transfer window.
A name that’s been linked with almost every single contender in the English Premier League so far is Southampton’s defensive star Virgil van Dijk, as the Dutch player has been linked with Liverpool, Manchester United, Manchester City and lately, Antonio Conte’s Premier League-leading Chelsea.
So now, there’s not much left to ask but is Virgil van Dijk would be a good signing for the Blues, as Antonio Conte’s side seems unbeatable right now and it’s hard to wonder if they can get even better with any signing, especially on the defensive side of the pitch, as they’ve been one of the least vulnerable sides through most of the season.
The Italian manager has been looking to improve the team’s defence since his arrival, as he was keen to bring Leonardo Bonucci before finally acquiring David Luiz back from Paris Saint-Germain at the last minute of the summer transfer window.
So it’s very clear to see why he likes Van Dijk, as the dutch defender has quickly become one of the most impressive players in a pretty good (defensively wise) Southampton team, and even if Claude Puel has emphasized that he doesn’t intend to let the centre-back go, that great interest from most title contenders will most likely make him leave as soon as he can, as he’s a world-class talent that needs a better team to prove himself.
Conte features a 3-4 -3 scheme with a couple of centre backs (Gary Cahill and David Luiz) and a full back to complete his defence, so bringing Van Dijk would most likely send Cesar Azpilicueta to a bench role, but that wouldn’t be a problem for the blues, as the Italian loves to feature his full backs as wingers whenever he has the chance, as he’s done with Marcos Alonso.
Virgil would be an instant fit for Conte’s side and looking at the support he will be getting at the Bridge with players like David Luiz and N’Golo Kante by his side, Chelsea can form one of the best defences in not just in the country, but in entire Europe. There is no doubt about Virgil’s talent and he surely is destined for more, hence, a move to the Stamford Bridge could be on the cards.