Southampton maintain Virgil Van Dijk stance despite Wesley Hoedt arrival

Southampton appear to be holding firm in their stance on the defender Virgil van Dijk, with an official statement announcing the arrival of Lazio centre-back Wesley Hoedt stating that their new signing will “develop alongside” his Dutch compatriot.

Hoedt, who joins on a five-year deal for a reported £15m, is the second centre-back signed by Mauricio Pellegrino this summer, following the arrival of Jan Bednarek for £5.7m in July.

Hoedt’s arrival is likely to increase speculation over Van Dijk’s future, despite Southampton’s football vice-chairman, Les Reed, reinforcing the chairman Ralph Kreuger’s claim that the defender will stay at St. Mary’s.

Van Dijk took part in training with the club’s under-23s on Monday but is still unavailable for selection. The centre-back has been linked with Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester City and submitted a transfer request earlier this month.

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“Wesley is one of the most promising young defenders in Europe and represents a significant addition to our squad,” Reed said in an official statement.

“We believe he has all the qualities to play a big part in our future, and we have worked hard to bring him to Southampton, with a number of other high-profile clubs interested in him. Finding a top-quality central defender is difficult in the current environment and now we have six internationals in this position, both young and experienced.

“Finding a naturally left-footed player is even more difficult. We have been tracking central defenders on our target list for the past 12 months and Wesley has always been at the top of that list, so it was important to act when the opportunity came.

“We believe [Wesley] can develop even further here at Southampton, alongside his international team-mate Virgil van Dijk, as well as the likes of Jack Stephens, Maya Yoshida, Jan Bednarek and Florin Gardos. With Wesley joining those players, we believe we have the right amount of quality, depth and flexibility to help us achieve our aims this season.”

Hoedt commented: “I’m really happy to be here. I think Southampton is a really big club, so it’s a good next step for me to come here and to play in the Premier League and try to help the best I can.”

Swansea agree fee for Hull’s Clucas

Swansea City have agreed an initial £15m fee with Hull City for the midfielder Sam Clucas.

Paul Clement has begun reinvesting the £45m fee received for Gylfi Sigurdsson with a move for Clucas, who played in all but one of Hull’s Premier League matches last season.

Press Association Sport reports that the deal includes £1.5m in add-ons, which could make Clucas the club’s record signing ahead of the Spanish forward Borja Bastón.

Swansea are also reportedly interested in the PSV Eindhoven right-back Santiago Arias as well as a deal to bring their former striker Wilfried Bony back to South Wales from Manchester City.