Virgil van Dijk could leave Southampton in January with Liverpool still keen

That is according to former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy.

The Reds were forced into a public apology when Southampton accused them of tapping up Van Dijk earlier in the summer.

And despite still wanting to sign the Dutch defender, Jurgen Klopp’s side did not make a move.

However, Murphy insists clubs go to players all the time in modern football to discuss transfers.

Liverpool signed Sadio Mane, Adam Lallana and Dejan Lovren in the past, and Murphy claims they would have been contacted before Southampton too.

“They (Liverpool) didn’t withdraw their interest,” Murphy told talkSPORT.

“The players who leave these days for big money will always speak to the club or manager before the approach is made. About 99 per cent [of the time].

“A club is not going to go through the rigmarole of making an offer, a structured offer that takes a long time to write up and if it’s £50m there are add-ons and clauses, if they don’t know if the player will come.

“So every single player more or less in the Premier League will have met an official of that club without the club he plays for knowing.

“This thing about illegal approaches is laughable. It’s a joke.

“Southampton know that. When Lallana went and Lovren went and Mane went, do you think they didn’t meet their perspective managers? It’s about money.

“They just wanted more dough because they thought Philippe Coutinho would get Liverpool £140m so Southampton were getting greedy.

“It’s like when Liverpool sold Torres for £50m and had to pay £35m for Carroll, when he was worth £15m or £20m.

Virgil van Dijk to Liverpool: Danny Murphy says tapping up claim is nonsense

“That’s just the way it is. You can’t blame Southampton or Liverpool.

“Liverpool wanted the player full stop and did not withdraw their interest.

“The illegal approach thing is nonsensical. It’s a load of rubbish.”

Liverpool could reignite their pursuit of Van Dijk in the January transfer window.