Saint Albert

Discussion of Coutinho to Barca also banned.

They now seem to have banned anything Saintsweb related from their VVD transfer thread.

Plus the fire that VVD allegedly has for Klopp and Liverpool may die down over the season and open things up for more palatable suitors next summer.

It's too much for Spurs' fourth choice CB.

Today the bookies think that it is far more likely that VVD will remain a Saint.

I'm starting to think that Wimmer could happen, and Saints have packaged this information release through Wilson to make sure that it does not set off a VVD to Liverpool avalanche in the media.

That seems like a decent enough development to me. Lots of ups and downs in the thread today.

Better news from Wilson: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2017/07/28/southampton-determined-keep-virgil-van-dijk-plan-reintegrate/

My concern would be Levy taking the club to the cleaners on the transfer fee. I was hoping we'd take a crack at Davinson Sanchez from Ajax.

A poster on Not606 claims to have heard the same thing (VVD to Liverpool) from a source that they trust.

You are correct. It was not Monk.

It's like a mushroom cloud. What is peak ITK, I wonder?

...and the Liverpool Echo. See 14:13 on their transfer rumours page: http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/liverpool-transfer-news-naby-keita-13395364.amp

If you tell me that Mr. Benn is still on the telly in the GB I will probably freak out.

My Ricky Lambert shirt arrived in the mail the same day his sale to Liverpool was finalized.

That would be irritating. As we search for a replacement every club will know we have VVD money, and will adjust their asking price accordingly. The Mail today has Wimmer at the top of our list of potential replacements if a VVD sale goes through.

A Man U supporter is staying at the same hotel as Saints. He's tweeted a few videos and stills from the camp, like this: https://mobile.twitter.com/VintageRomelu/status/890635829487566849 Incidentally, he also claims to have asked Pellegrino about VVD and was told twice that he's staying.

Saints, Stoke and Swansea linked with Chris Wood of Leeds. Asking price £20M: http://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/833520/Leeds-United-Chris-Wood-Stoke-Swansea-Southampton-Premier-League-Transfer-News-Gossip

I think that some level of communication between team and agent is generally accepted as how things are done by most football clubs. Yes it is tapping up because when you talk to an agent you are talking to the player. Liverpool took it to the next level with the direct communications between Klopp and VVD. Even then they would have got away with it. I expect that a close examination of the Mane transfer might reveal something similar. It was the timed release of information to their regular contacts in the press describing how Klopp tapped up VVD that did them in. It was arrogant, disrespectful, disruptive, and infuriating. Hopefully it costs them their chance to sign him.

When a player acts up to play for the scousers Part II: Liverpool may be getting somewhere with Kieta. Reports in Germany are saying that Ralph Rangnick is furious with Kieta's sulking and lack of effort in RB Leipzig's training camp, has him working mostly alone and his team is actively looking for replacements.

Celtic supporters are a passionate bunch, and he left them. It's a money move, and then after the money it was a decision around which club would do a better job of stroking his ego.

I think you're right...Arsenal are being linked with Carvalho all over the place.

There are reports coming out of Spain saying that Coutinho has agreed to terms with Barcelona: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-4730368/Philippe-Coutinho-agrees-terms-join-Barcelona.html

The Dutch take on the VVD situation is in these articles: http://sportwitness.co.uk/de-telegraaf-van-dijk-take-southampton-arbitration-board-netherlands/ http://sportwitness.co.uk/dutch-newspaper-bring-legal-experts-van-dijk-transfer-liverpools-class-questioned/ A quote from Le Tissier in the second article:

The Sun has reported that Stoke are pursuing Oxlade-Chamberlain: https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/football/4094036/alex-oxlade-chamberlain-transfer-stoke-target-meet-players-agent/