MANCHESTER CITY MANAGER Pep Guardiola insisted the runaway Premier League leaders were never interested in signing Liverpool-bound defender Virgil van Dijk.
Van Dijk, 26, is set to head to Anfield from Southampton in January after the clubs agreed a deal reportedly worth £75 million.
He underwent a medical with Liverpool on Wednesday and, beyond becoming the most expensive defender in history, represents the club’s biggest outlay on a player.
The Netherlands international, who is set to earn £180,000 a week with the Reds, was linked to numerous clubs before Wednesday’s announcement, with City and Chelsea among them.
However, speaking after City’s 1-0 win over Newcastle United, Guardiola was asked if Van Dijk was a player he was looking at January.
“Nope,” the Spaniard responded. ”No, no, no”
Asked if he was interested in Van Dijk, Guardiola reiterated: “No.”
City are flying 15 points clear atop the Premier League, having won 19 of their 20 games, though the club find themselves shorthanded defensively following captain Vincent Kompany’s latest injury.
The42 has just published its first book, Behind The Lines, a collection of some of the year’s best sports stories. Pick up your copy in Eason’s, or order it here today (€10):
