Report: Van Dijk picks Liverpool over Chelsea, Manchester City

Liverpool has won the race to sign Southampton defender Virgil van Dijk.

Van Dijk allegedly dismissed interest from Manchester City and Chelsea when he informed Liverpool officials of his interest in joining the club, Andy Hunter of the Guardian reports.

However, a move may take awhile to materialise, with Chris Bascombe of The Telegraph reporting that the Dutch centre-back's possible transfer to Merseyside is "far" from being completed.

The two sides have yet to reach an agreement on a fee for the 25-year-old, but Liverpool is believed to be willing to submit an offer that could be worth as much as £60 million. The Reds are also willing to match the weekly £200,000 wage that Manchester City had reportedly offered Van Dijk.

Talks between the two sides are expected to take place in the coming days.

Now that Van Dijk has allegedly informed Southampton of his desire to leave, the club may be willing to listen to offers for him, as chairman Ralph Krueger previously insisted he and the club were prepared to reject an offer worth £60 million.

The defender is said to be manager Jurgen Klopp's top priority heading into the summer transfer window. His arrival would represent a major victory for the club's hopes of closing the gap at the top of the table, considering Van Dijk reportedly passed up an opportunity to join Premier League champion Chelsea and third-place City a season after Liverpool finished fourth.

Since his arrival from Celtic for a reported £13-million transfer fee in 2015, Van Dijk, who agreed to a new six-year contract with the Saints in May 2016 - has emerged as one of the premier defenders in the world.

A move for Van Dijk could also coincide with another significant arrival for the Reds, as a report Sunday suggested that Liverpool was prepared to offer a club-record fee for Roma star Mohamed Salah.