Martin Semmens Reflects on Virgil van Dijk’s Departure to Liverpool

Former Southampton executive Martin Semmens has shared his thoughts on managing the transfer of Virgil van Dijk to Liverpool.

Van Dijk’s Move to Liverpool

Virgil van Dijk made a £75 million switch to Liverpool from Southampton in January 2018.

Semmens’ Insights

“Van Dijk’s transfer was a significant event for us,” Semmens stated during an interview on TalkSPORT. “We approached the situation differently, insisting, ‘You cannot leave.’ Clearly, this strategy was ineffective.”

“Although we didn’t manage to convince him to stay, I regard Virgil as outstanding; even when he was at 75% in training and matches, he remained the top player on our team, if not in the entire league.”

“He posed us no challenges and maintained a positive attitude, yet it was clear he desired a move, which made retaining him unsustainable.”

“We held on to him until January, but it was detrimental to team morale and the atmosphere. It’s worth emphasizing that Virgil never uttered any negative remarks to anyone.”

“At that moment, we believed extending his stay would yield greater financial returns. He had recently recovered from a long injury, being sidelined for six to nine months, and we felt he owed us, which now seems rather embarrassing to acknowledge.”

“Additionally, there were aspects of the communication from Liverpool that we found uncomfortable. At that time, he had already met Klopp before discussing his intentions with us, which complicated matters.”

“Ultimately, however, he contributed tremendously during his time with us, and we secured a favorable deal from his transfer.”