CONFIRMED - Virgil Van Dijk joins on Five Year Deal

I just lumped £25 on him to sign for us at 5/2. Fingers crossed.

He's not an option on Skybet.

He's not an option on Skybet.

They won't have to pay out then! Surely not.

He's not an option on Skybet.

Bet Victor - I just opened an account, bet £25 on VVD to sign for Saints this window and got £25 back as 'free' bets for the priviledge.

"We are looking for 2 or 3 more players" - RK

VVD, Vilhuena, striker?

"We are looking for 2 or 3 more players" - RK

Vvd , Austin and a Box to box midfielder please!

Vvd , Austin and a Box to box midfielder please!

you think the club is headed toward spending £40 million more in the next month?

How much are you spending on the Midfielder?

How much are you spending on the Midfielder?

£15m apparently (VvD = £10m, Austin = £15m asking price), doubt we'll spend anything like £40m more though. Would guess it'll be another £20m odd maybe £25m at a push

What happened to the ITK thread?

Would expect us to be after another CB and another midfielder.

Virgil looks like he is currently trying to win the game for celtic on his own at the moment.

Celtic 1-0 up...

Virgil looks like he is currently trying to win the game for celtic on his own at the moment.

Shows a lack of commitment to joining Saints is you ask me. He should be throwing the game to accelerate his transfer

Shows a lack of commitment to joining Saints is you ask me. He should be throwing the game to accelerate his transfer

hahahaha maybe he was told if the defo get through he is off

Note that if they get through against this team (from Azerbaijan...) then their next round games - so far as I can tell from the UEFA website - will be played on 18/19 & 25/26 August. The transfer window shuts on Tuesday 1 September at 1800 BST.

Does that mean we have to put up with escalating levels of bed-wetting right through August? I'm not sure that I can take it...

Note that if they get through against this team (from Azerbaijan...) then their next round games - so far as I can tell from the UEFA website - will be played on 18/19 & 25/26 August. The transfer window shuts on Tuesday 1 September at 1800 BST.

 

Does that mean we have to put up with escalating levels of bed-wetting right through August? I'm not sure that I can take it...

Lets's hope Carrier Bag can overturn the 1-0 deficit!

Celtic beat Qarabağ 1-0

Let's hope the Armenian away leg goes down badly

Let's hope the Armenian away leg goes down badly

If they turn up in Armenia for the game I'm pretty sure that it WILL go badly! :lol:

If they turn up in Armenia for the game I'm pretty sure that it WILL go badly! :lol:

Any Crappy B&B's out in Azerbaijan? If so, VVD should ask that he be allowed to stay in one, to get him used to the crappy B&B run environment that SFC prides itself on

Any Crappy B&B's out in Azerbaijan? If so, VVD should ask that he be allowed to stay in one, to get him used to the crappy B&B run environment that SFC prides itself on

what does that even mean?

what does that even mean?

It's an old forum joke.

It's an old forum joke.

Really? I consider myself pretty old school on here and I don't "get" it.

Really? I consider myself pretty old school on here and I don't "get" it.

A few years ago Alps complained that we were running the club like a crappy B&B. It's trotted out ad nauseum to poke fun at Alps.

A few years ago Alps complained that we were running the club like a crappy B&B. It's trotted out ad nauseum to poke fun at Alps.

Do we really need that many different ways to poke fun at alpine? Can't we just link to his earlier posts?

If they turn up in Armenia for the game I'm pretty sure that it WILL go badly! :lol:

My bad I knew it was one of the suckers

A few years ago Alps complained that we were running the club like a crappy B&B. It's trotted out ad nauseum to poke fun at Alps.

Ah, that explains why I didn't see it [emoji3]

A few years ago Alps complained that we were running the club like a crappy B&B. It's trotted out ad nauseum to poke fun at Alps.

To be fair, Alpine trots it out himself most weeks.

To be fair, Alpine trots it out himself most weeks.

Utter b*ll*cks. I wrote it once.

Utter b*ll*cks. I wrote it once.

Are you saying that you once wrote utter b*ll*cks?

I'll tell you about badly run club. Watford organized a pre season friendly with a German team. They organized a training camp in Germany, big hotel and only when they got out to the hotel, did they realize that the team they were playing was over 2hrs journey by coach. So they cancelled the friendly.

Now that's a badly run club.

I'll tell you about badly run club. Watford organized a pre season friendly with a German team. They organized a training camp in Germany, big hotel and only when they got out to the hotel, did they realize that the team they were playing was over 2hrs journey by coach. So they cancelled the friendly.

 

Now that's a badly run club.

A club with 5 managers in two years and 10 new players bought in the last month can't be run badly, surely?

I'll tell you about badly run club. Watford organized a pre season friendly with a German team. They organized a training camp in Germany, big hotel and only when they got out to the hotel, did they realize that the team they were playing was over 2hrs journey by coach. So they cancelled the friendly.

 

Now that's a badly run club.

11 new players in one window. That never ends well.

VVD's value has suddenly shot up to 15 million, thus ruling out any interest on our part (supposedly!!)

VVD's value has suddenly shot up to 15 million, thus ruling out any interest on our part (supposedly!!)

No that's from the Celtic fan site, they are jumping to the conclusion that because we have signed caulker we won't sign another CB.

playing now for Celtic on Sky

although they are playing a shyte team (Ross County)

I have to say, he does look good. Very comfortable on the ball and a big strong lad

I hope we get him

have watched the game and although he passes very well, is a threat going forward.....i'm not so sure about his defencive qualities! He almost looked disinterested when it came to defending. I think Saints fans will love him tearing out of defence.....I just hope he is as good defending. Like what i saw.....but this was the first time i really concentrated on watching him as opposed to watching just the game.

Rather than watching the match, I've been watching VVD in the Celtic v Ross County match. He strolled around, hardly got out of walking pace, when caught out made no effort to get back, looked incapable of marking tight and the few times he was tested in the air lost out to smaller opponents. In Iceland he lost his mark for the goal.

He is nowhere near ready to play in the Premier playing like he does. He will have to play entirely differently if he plays left side for us. We would get slaughtered if he plays the same way. He will need to start playing flat out at times but that isn't the way he plays he also gives up and strolls back if caught out or up the field and seems to lack awareness in picking up threats as per the Iceland goal.

He has spent too long strolling around as a defender for by far the best team in a horrendously poor league. Small wonder Holland aren't picking him. He may have an extra gear in which case he might be worth a punt but he isn't the £10m+ immediate answer to replacing Toby without total change to the way he plays.

Rather than watching the match, I've been watching VVD in the Celtic v Ross County match. He strolled around, hardly got out of walking pace, when caught out made no effort to get back, looked incapable of marking tight and the few times he was tested in the air lost out to smaller opponents. In Iceland he lost his mark for the goal.

 

He is nowhere near ready to play in the Premier playing like he does. He will have to play entirely differently if he plays left side for us. We would get slaughtered if he plays the same way. He will need to start playing flat out at times but that isn't the way he plays he also gives up and strolls back if caught out or up the field and seems to lack awareness in picking up threats as per the Iceland goal.

 

He has spent too long strolling around as a defender for by far the best team in a horrendously poor league. Small wonder Holland aren't picking him. He may have an extra gear in which case he might be worth a punt but he isn't the £10m+ immediate answer to replacing Toby without total change to the way he plays.

Yes, he gets away with playing like a box to box midfielder in Scotland but would not get away with it in the prem - he'd be slaughtered.

That said, he does look like he has a fair bit of talent and should adjust to become a very good prem CH that occasionally breaks forward.

I'd like us to sign him but if we don't then there are other options.

£8m Saints bid according to our pal @reluctantnicko in the Scottish Currant Bun this morning.

£8m Saints bid according to our pal @reluctantnicko in the Scottish Currant Bun this morning.

I think it's gone like this.

Koeman to Virgil 'Come and join us and we will pay you xxx amount a week.'

Virgil '100% yes but Celtic will pay me a bonus plus will let me go when we qualify for the group stages of the Champions league, good luck with the bid to get me though.'

I think it's gone like this.

Koeman to Virgil 'Come and join us and we will pay you xxx amount a week.'

Virgil '100% yes but Celtic will pay me a bonus plus will let me go when we qualify for the group stages of the Champions league, good luck with the bid to get me though.'

I don't think personal bonuses are a factor.

I think he has been told nothing happens until they have qualified for the CL (or been knocked out).

I think we should buy him just for his name

I'm sure we could come up with some incredible songs for him, and end of season fancy dress game could be Thunderbird costumes

I haven't seen him yet this season but I've seen him play a few times last season and i'm confident he can make the step up. He has all the attributes needed. If he looks lackluster for them atm I can only imagine he's either not 100% match fit or that he knows he's leaving.

Utter b*ll*cks. I wrote it once.

To be fair Alpine, when things don't go the way you want or happen when you want you do tend to blame the Board of incompetence.

I'm not convinced we are that keen on VVD. If we were then I'd expect a little more 'noise' or rumblings about it in the media or in Scotland. At the moment any features merely appear a reworking of the same story from a few weeks ago. Admittedly we like to do our business 'behind closed doors' and quietly but even allowing for that there seeems very little of note, less so than our deals for Wanyama and Forster.

Added to this is a post on here last year from someone saying Reed had publicly said we weren't interested, RK was not keen. Presumably there's no history between RK, EK and VVD from their time in Holland that anyones aware of ?

I'm not convinced we are that keen on VVD. If we were then I'd expect a little more 'noise' or rumblings about it in the media or in Scotland. At the moment any features merely appear a reworking of the same story from a few weeks ago. Admittedly we like to do our business 'behind closed doors' and quietly but even allowing for that there seeems very little of note, less so than our deals for Wanyama and Forster.

 

Added to this is a post on here last year from someone saying Reed had publicly said we weren't interested, RK was not keen. Presumably there's no history between RK, EK and VVD from their time in Holland that anyones aware of ?

Well they all started their careers at the same club, think that's it.

I'm not convinced we are that keen on VVD. If we were then I'd expect a little more 'noise' or rumblings about it in the media or in Scotland. At the moment any features merely appear a reworking of the same story from a few weeks ago. Admittedly we like to do our business 'behind closed doors' and quietly but even allowing for that there seeems very little of note, less so than our deals for Wanyama and Forster.

 

Added to this is a post on here last year from someone saying Reed had publicly said we weren't interested, RK was not keen. Presumably there's no history between RK, EK and VVD from their time in Holland that anyones aware of ?

You are right in that there hasn't been a lot of media noise about this one. The thing that makes me think there is something in it is that Celtic do like to keep hold of players until they qualify for the CL proper and there doesn't seem to be anyone else on the horizon just yet.

You are right in that there hasn't been a lot of media noise about this one. The thing that makes me think there is something in it is that Celtic do like to keep hold of players until they qualify for the CL proper and there doesn't seem to be anyone else on the horizon just yet.

Or is it that the media generates the story whilst the Premier clubs aren't convinced.

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/6524746/SunSports-daily-transfer-round-up.html

Southampton have made an £8million bid for Celtic centre-back Virgil van Dijk, writes ALAN NIXON

Boss Ronald Koeman wants to bring in the classy Dutchman, 24, despite landing Steven Caulker on loan from QPR.

Van Dijk has been looking to move to England for some time. Saints think £8m is fair, especially as he has already played in Europe this season so is cup-tied.

However the Glasgow giants want more and have no need to sell, so the haggling could go on.

Would Caulker have signed if he thought he would be third or fourth choice?