Chelsea lead the race for in-demand Southampton defender Virgil Van Dijk

Chelsea will be looking to add more depth to their squad next season as they will be competing in the Champions League too, and have identified Southampton defender Virgil Van Dijk as a possibility.

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Van Dijk has become one of the most sought-after defenders in the Premier League this season and despite being out with a foot injury at the moment, the Dutchman is still regarded as one of the best players in his position.

Antonio Conte's Chelsea have been in superb form ever since he switched to three at the back and given Van Dijk's ability to play out of position at times, Chelsea's style would certainly suit him.

Van Dijk joined Southampton from Celtic for £13 million back in 2015 and only recently signed a new six-year deal with the club.

Southampton are known as a feeder club and have lost a lot of their top players in the past to clubs with more financial power and that could happen with Van Dijk too.

However, the Saints will certainly demand a fee more than the £47.5 million Manchester City paid Everton for John Stones last season for them to even consider selling Van Dijk.

Reports say that Chelsea are currently the frontrunners for the Dutchman's signature with rumours that Van Dijk himself is keen on a move to Chelsea. The Blues consider Van Dijk to be a long-term replacement for club captain John Terry who looks destined to leave the club in the summer when his contract expires.

If Chelsea were to sign Van Dijk, it could also mean bad news for Kurt Zouma's future at Chelsea. The Frenchman had a decent start to his Chelsea career but since he returned from a long term knee injury he has not been able to get back into the Chelsea starting 11.

Apart from Chelsea, Manchester City are the only other club to show a real interest in him this season while Liverpool and Arsenal are also rumoured to be interested.