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Exclusive: Southampton keen on Daniel Sturridge and ready to make audacious bid for Fulham’s Ryan Sessegnon

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Southampton are interested in recruiting Liverpool and England striker Daniel Sturridge on loan until the end of the season and are also ready to make an audacious bid for Fulham’s Ryan Sessegnon.

After selling Virgil van Dijk to Liverpool for £75 million on Wednesday, Southampton want to reinvest quickly and add quality to their squad, with the attacking positions and centre-back their two priorities.

A list of targets are being considered or actively worked upon and, with manager Mauricio Pellegrino desperate to add pace, power and goals to his team, one of the most intriguing names is Liverpool’s Sturridge.

His Liverpool contributions have been limited by persistent injury but, even when fully fit, the emergence this season of Jurgen Klopp’s ‘fab four’ of Mo Salah, Roberto Firmino, Philippe Coutinho and Sadio Mane has left him unlikely to start even when available.

Southampton have their own short-term problems in attack following Charlie Austin’s injury and, although they are also looking at permanent options, they would be very interested in taking a proven goalscorer like Sturridge on loan.

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Summary of non-mainstream articles: 29/12/2017 00:18:35

| | Van Dijk sale is good business for Southampton, says PellegrinoFOURFOURTWO |
| | Liverpool target trio of further signings following Van Dijk arrival101GREATGOALS |
| | John Giles Feels Jurgen Klopp May Ruin Virgil Van DijkBALLSIE |
| | FSG and Michael Edwards are directly involved in talks on another big Liverpool transferSPORTWITNESS |
| | Transfer news: ‘Sol Bamba better than £75m Virgil lvan Dijk’ - Neil Warnock questions Liverpool’s record-breaking …GOALDOTCOM |
| | ‘Bargain of the century’ - Chelsea fans on Twitter laud their club’s transfer history following Van Dijk …THETRANSFERTAVERN |
| | Portsmouth watching Southampton youngster ahead of potential moveREADSOUTHAMPTON |
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| Gary Rowett has his say on van Dijk’s world-record transferDERBYTELEGRAPH |

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Summary of non-mainstream articles: 29/12/2017 00:28:18

| | Crystal Palace opted against spending £6m on Van Dijk for a ridiculous reasonGIVEMESPORT |
| | Southampton keen to sign Daniel Sturridge on loanREADSOUTHAMPTON |
| | Man City could do battle with Chelsea in race for key Southampton stalwartCAUGHTOFFSIDE |
| | Report: Southampton rival Everton and West Ham for Walcott; also want Moussa DembeleHEREISTHECITY |

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Sourced from Daily Echo article

Pellegrino: Selling van Dijk can be a positive

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Mauricio Pellegrino believes selling Virgil van Dijk will be a positive for Saints if they can land their January transfer targets.

Pellegrino is hoping for at least two new faces to arrive next month, funded by the £75m fee Liverpool will pay for van Dijk.

The Saints boss is confident that if he can get who he wants, then it will have been a good thing for the club.

He said: “I think the decision is done and now we have to think about the future.

“We have to try to see our target for the future.

“Sometimes at this level Southampton is impossible to bring players for £80m or £50m but maybe for us can mean in the future a couple of good players.

“Maybe we change one player for two players or three players with this money and this has to be the positive target.

“We have to analyse this situation and this is good personally for him and will be positive if we reinvest in our good targets for the future.”

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Sourced from Daily Mail article

Southampton eye Walcott, Sturridge, Mawson and Sessegnon

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Theo Walcott and Daniel Sturridge are among the players on Southampton’s shopping list as they look to spend the £75million recouped from Virgil van Dijk’s move to Liverpool.

The Saints are aiming to move quickly as they look to strengthen their squad next month and will enquire about the England pair.

Wages could prove a stumbling block: Walcott — on the bench for Arsenal against Crystal Palace on Thursday night — earns £110,000-per-week, while Sturridge’s deal at Liverpool is worth £150,000-per-week and the Merseyside club do not want to let the striker leave next month.

Nevertheless, the duo are options Southampton wish to explore.

Alfie Mawson, the Swansea defender, is another target as Mauricio Pellegrino looks to replace Van Dijk. But Southampton face competition from West Ham, who are ready to bid £25m for the England hopeful.

Fulham left back Ryan Sessegnon is also on Southampton’s wishlist but they face competition from all of the Premier League’s top six clubs.

Tottenham are leading the chase for the 17-year-old, who has made 26 appearances for Fulham so far this season.

Pellegrino is looking to bolster the options at his disposal in January, although he will not have the entire £75m to reinvest, with Celtic due a sell-on fee following his £13m move from the Scottish champions in 2015.

Southampton have been pulled into the battle to avoid relegation after one win in their last 11 Premier League games.

They are currently 14th in the table, two points above the drop zone and face Manchester United next, on Saturday.

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Summary of non-mainstream articles: 29/12/2017 01:29:02

| | Leeds fans react on Twitter to Neil Warnock’s claim about Sol BambaHEREISTHECITY |
| | ‘I fear for Van Dijk at Liverpool’ - John Giles suspects Jurgen Klopp will not use his £75m man properlyIRISHINDEP |
| | Southampton plot Sessegnon swoopHAMMYENDCOM |
| | Barcelona worried over release clause of Man Utd target after Van Dijk record moveCALCIOMERCATOCOM |
| | Daniel Sturridge might be about to leave Liverpool on loan for the rest of the seasonJOECOUK |
| | Southampton keen to rival Manchester United and Tottenham for Fulham prospectREADSOUTHAMPTON |

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Sourced from Mirror.co.uk article

Daniel Sturridge lined up for surprising Premier League switch

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Southampton want to take Daniel Sturridge on loan for the rest of the season and rescue the striker from Liverpool’s bench.

Sturridge is out of favour with Jurgen Klopp given the German boss’s attacking riches and is keen for more time on the pitch.

And the Saints are looking to get value from the sale of Virgil van Dijk to the Reds.

The St Mary’s clu is keen to spend the first chunk of cash on bringing Theo Walcott back to the club at which he first made his name.

They have asked Arsenal whether he is available in January and want to do a deal either on loan or a permanent transfer and hope that Walcott wants to move.

Also with the £75m made from Van Dijk’s departure to Liverpool, Southampton are keen to talk to the Reds about Sturridge.

But it is understood Liverpool do not want to let Sturridge go in January.

However, they may be willing to loan out Danny Ings to another Premier League club.

Southampton are ready to meet Walcott’s £140,000-a-week wages but face competition with Everton and West Ham also keen.

Walcott had become Southampton’s youngest ever player when he left to join Arsenal for £12m in January 2006 and has gone on to enjoy a long career with club and country.

But the 28-year-old now finds himself struggling for game time.

Arsenal may wait with a growing fixture list and also Olivier Giroud out injured for up to six weeks.

Southampton boss Mauricio Pellegrino said: “Obviously, we don’t have this money to go to the market to bring the best players in the world, but we have got our targets that we want to bring in with this money.

“We were (the board) talking about the couple of targets that we got. I would like to bring a couple of players minimum and we have to work for this.”

Southampton are also among a queue of Premier League clubs tracking Celtic hot shot Moussa Dembele.

Celtic may allow Dembele, 21, to leave in January for more than £20m but the French starlet is likely to wait to see what clubs come in as Arsenal, Chelsea and Paris Saint Germain have looked in the past.

Vice chairman Les Reed is also scouring Europe for a proven centre-back to fill the void left by van Dijk. Swansea’s in-demand Alfie Mawson is also on their radar.

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Sourced from BBC article

DEFAULTSouthampton want Sturridge & Walcott - gossip

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Summary of non-mainstream articles: 29/12/2017 02:29:07

| | Southampton keen on Sturridge loan?SPORTSMOLE |
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| Here’s what Southampton need to do in the January windowNEWSLADBROKES |
| | Ryan Sessegnon on Southampton radar?SPORTSMOLE |

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Sourced from The Telegraph article

Celtic poised for cash injection from defender Virgil van Dijk’s world-record £75m transfer to Liverpool

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Celtic’s transfer profits could multiply tenfold if their share of the cash from Virgil van Dijk’s move from Southampton to Liverpool should be supplemented by the sale of Moussa Dembele next month.

The Scottish champions will get a slice of the £75 million world-record fee for a defender paid by Liverpool, which could be a straight 10 per cent of the total fee or, more likely, 15 per cent of the profit made by Southampton on their original £11.5m investment, which would yield Celtic around £9.5m.

On Boxing Day, Brendan Rodgers played down reports that an £18m fee had been agreed with Brighton for Moussa Dembele, the 21-year-old French striker who moved from Fulham in the summer of 2016 on a four-year contract.

“There’s been no contact between the clubs and Moussa is very much still a Celtic player. There is no fee, no bid, there have been no talks,” the Celtic manager said.

Rodgers added a caveat, however, when asked if Dembele would still be a Celtic player at the end of January. “I can’t say that,” he replied. I live in the real world of football and you can say things that make you look silly.

“Someone might come in with a bid that is an astronomical amount of money for the club and the player and, if the player wants to go, that’s modern football.”

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Sourced from BBC article

Premier League predictions: Lawro v sprint star Darren Campbell

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It has taken until the end of December, but Mark Lawrenson has finally predicted Huddersfield to win a Premier League game.

In reality, the Terriers are ticking along nicely in mid-table - but in Lawro’s table (see bottom of this page), they took only six points from their first 20 games, all from draws.

Lawro thinks that will change in Saturday’s game against Burnley and told BBC Sport: "Huddersfield are doing better than I expected and I have been getting a bit of stick about it for a few weeks now.

"But I was not just going to say they would win for the sake of it, and I do not pay any attention to my table when I make my predictions each week anyway.

“I am trying to get each score right, not balancing things out by picking results so teams are closer to their real position.”

Lawro is going for a 1-0 Huddersfield win - do you agree? You can make your own predictions now, take on Lawro and other fans, create your own league and try to make it to the top of the table by playing the new-look BBC Sport Predictor game.

Lawro scored 120 points in week 20, which leaves him in 2,082nd place out of more than 340,000 users.

He will be making a prediction for all 380 top-flight games this season, against a variety of guests.

This week, Lawro takes on ex-Olympic sprint champion and BBC athletics commentator Darren Campbell.

Campbell, who won 4x100m gold at Athens 2004 and took 200m silver at the 2000 Games in Sydney, was a talented footballer in his youth.

He told BBC Sport: "I was at the same school of excellence as Ryan Giggs, so I think that was when I realised I was not going to be a footballer.

"I kind of got into athletics more and focused on that, but then went back to football aged 21 and went on trial with Derby and Millwall, and I nearly signed for Plymouth under Neil Warnock.

"By then I had already started playing in Non-league with Weymouth, and I spent a year playing for them before going back to athletics and making it to the 1996 Olympics.

“I have no regrets - the reality is I was always going to be a better athlete than I was a footballer. Sometimes your path is already defined, you just need to get on it.”

Campbell is a Manchester United, fan explaining: "I am a Manchester lad - so the choice was red or blue.

“My favourite colour was red as a kid so there was never much doubt there. My mum is a City fan, though.”

*Tottenham’s home game against West Ham has been rearranged for Thursday, 4 January, but will still count towards this week’s scores once the fixture has been played.

A correct result (picking a win, draw or defeat) is worth 10 points. The exact score earns 40 points.

All kick-offs 15:00 GMT unless otherwise stated.

I can understand why there was some controversy over Bournemouth’s last-gasp equaliser against West Ham on Boxing Day - it was another strange refereeing decision.

But a draw was still a good result for the Cherries, no matter how they got it, and Everton also picked up another point when they went to West Brom - their 12th from six league games under Sam Allardyce.

The Baggies had a couple of decent chances to win that game, though, and I don’t think Allardyce’s seven-game unbeaten run will last too much longer.

In contrast, Bournemouth have not won any of their past eight league games, but they are at home and I just think this might be the moment where they turn the corner.

Darren’s prediction: In my job as a sprint coach, I have been working with Everton winger Yannick Bolasie after the serious knee injury he had.

We have worked hard on his movement and stuff like that, and seeing him back at the club, back in training and back in the first team [against West Brom on Boxing Day] has given me a lot of pleasure. It has been a long journey but he is someone who deserves every last bit of success because he has never stopped fighting.

As for the game, Allardyce has galvanised Everton and they are in great form - it’s got to be an away win. 0-1

Stoke have picked up four points from their festive games so far, but I don’t think they will get much out of this one.

The Potters are short at the back - Ryan Shawcross picked up a calf injury against Huddersfield on 26 December, Bruno Martins Indi is still out and Kurt Zouma is ineligible against his former club.

Chelsea’s home record is very good other than their opening-day defeat by Burnley and their loss to Manchester City in September.

Antonio Conte’s side have won their past six league games at Stamford Bridge - and I am expecting them to make it seven wins in a row on Saturday.

Darren’s prediction: It’s a game that Stoke would love to get something out of, but I think Chelsea are going to be a little bit too strong. 2-0

Hold on to your hats, because I am going to tip Huddersfield to win.

There should be a great atmosphere at the John Smith’s Stadium because it is only 25 miles away from Turf Moor and there is a bit of cross-Pennines rivalry between the two sides.

It will be a tight game because both teams play that way, and I just think the Terriers will edge it.

What Burnley have done since they were promoted to the Premier League under Sean Dyche in 2014 is what Huddersfield should be looking to replicate.

If you said to Huddersfield that in three years they could be where Burnley are now, then that would be absolutely fantastic.

Darren’s prediction: Two hard-working northern clubs who have both had fantastic seasons up until now - I am going to go for a draw. 2-2

There will be increased optimism from the Liverpool fans following the announcement that Southampton defender Virgil van Dijk is joining in January. There will be an awful lot of pressure on him because of the £75m fee but that is not his fault.

Yes, it is far too much money, but unfortunately it is the going rate for a good player - it was a big deal when clubs spent £30m on a player two or three years ago, but now you have to pay that for even an average to decent Premier League player.

The Reds easily saw off Swansea on Boxing Day, helped by a top-class Philippe Coutinho goal in the first few minutes, and I think home advantage will be massive for them in this game - although Leicester are far more dangerous opponents.

I was surprised to see them slip to defeat against Watford after taking the lead and the Foxes have only picked up one point in their past three matches, although that was against Manchester United.

Darren’s prediction: Liverpool winger Sadio Mane is up there with Manchester City’s Leroy Sane as one of the quickest players in the Premier League. Arsenal’s Danny Welbeck is fast too. When I was an athlete I would have taken them on but I definitely wouldn’t want to race them now.

The game is getting quicker and quicker and there is genuine pace in most teams now.

Liverpool have been playing extremely well. As a United fan, this kind of hurts - but I have got to go with them to win. 2-1

Newcastle were very defensive against Manchester City on Wednesday night, even when they went 1-0 down, but Rafael Benitez’s aim was for his team to try to stay in the game until the end - and it almost worked because they nearly nicked a point.

There will be a very different feeling about this game, against another promoted club - the Magpies have to try to win this one.

Brighton lost at Chelsea on Boxing Day but they had taken four points from their previous two matches, and this will be another fixture that their boss Chris Hughton will have earmarked as one to get something out of.

The Seagulls are only three points above Newcastle in the table but I just don’t see Hughton’s side getting relegated - I never really have.

It is different with Newcastle, and I am little bit worried for them. The takeover of the club is turning into a long-running saga and they need to bring in new players in January.

They have Benitez as manager, which is a huge positive, but who is he talking to about potential signings? Is it the current regime or the new people? It is a very difficult situation for them.

Darren’s prediction: Both teams have had their ups and downs since they were promoted but I am going for Brighton to win this one. 0-1

I was at Anfield on Boxing Day to see Liverpool win 5-0. Don’t get me wrong, the Reds played well - but Swansea were abysmal.

The scoreline could have been even bigger and, for a team that had lined up 4-5-1, they were the easiest team in the world to beat.

What I found really interesting was before the game, when the home fans sing You’ll Never Walk Alone and the Liverpool players jog into position.

At the same time the Swansea team were in a kind of huddle near the centre-circle and, honestly, it looked like they had just met each other.

Their body language was terrible and they looked like they were feeling the cold. They played that way too.

So new manager Carlos Carvalhal has got a lot of work to do and it is vital he has some money to spend in January - otherwise they have no chance of staying up.

Carvalhal is a surprise choice but Swansea have been relatively successful with European managers before - look at Roberto Martinez, Michael Laudrup and, to an extent, Paulo Sousa.

He is going to need new faces, though, because at the moment Swansea do not even look like a decent Championship team, let alone a Premier League one.

Watford ended a run of four successive defeats when they came from a goal down to beat Leicester and I think Hornets boss Marco Silva will have another victory to celebrate here now they have got that bad spell out of their system.

Getting £75m in through the door for Virgil van Dijk is good business for Southampton but, when they have sold players before, they have always had replacements ready, if not already at the club.

The problem with this sale coming now is that it ratchets up the expectation that they will spend heavily in January, especially because they are in such poor form.

Mauricio Pellegrino’s side have won only one of their past 11 league games, and have scored only 12 goals in that spell, so the pressure is on him to improve things quickly too.

This is not the game for that to happen, though.

You just know Saints are going to go to Old Trafford and camp in their own half, because they did it against Manchester City last month - and almost got a point. Almost.

Darren’s prediction: This is an easy one isn’t it? 2-0

This season is going to be tough for United fans, though. I think the title will come back to Manchester, but right now City are playing a different type of football to what the Premier League has seen for a long, long time. I don’t think many people thought Pep Guardiola would get that style of football right but, this season, he has. He has got a fantastic squad but I think the most important thing is that he seems to have a really good team spirit.

I hope City cannot dominate the Premier League in the way United have done before, but sometimes when a situation like this occurs where one team is so dominant it does mean the other contenders need to have a look at themselves.

For me, it can only bring more excitement in the future.

It was telling that Pep Guardiola brought on Gabriel Jesus instead of another centre-half when Vincent Kompany limped off 11 minutes into their win over Newcastle.

He had already sussed out that it was going to be one of those games where his side would be camped in the opposition half, so thought let’s get another attacker on - which I thought was quite cute.

I think this game will follow a similar pattern, and I don’t think Palace will be able to stop City either.

Eagles boss Roy Hodgson will try to deny them space but City have so many different avenues to score goals that it is very hard to do.

Darren’s prediction: A player I have seen who has improved his control of his speed is Crystal Palace forward Wilfried Zaha. Things did not work out for him when he went to United, but he was a young man and it was a big club to go to.

What we are seeing now is a level of maturity and also an understanding of the best way for him to play the game.

He has still got his pace, but there is a lot more control and calm to his game than there was when he was younger.

Palace have surprised everyone with the way they have stepped up following their terrible start to the season - and Zaha has been playing out of his skin.

So I am going to go for a draw… please! 1-1

West Brom have gone 18 league games without a win but they had chances to beat Everton on Boxing Day and I think results will turn around for them soon.

I think the Baggies fans can see what their new manager Pardew is trying to do, but there is no doubt they are another team who need to go into the market when the transfer window opens in January.

Pardew has picked up three points from three draws out of his six games in charge and, as I have said before, you can see how he is trying to change things.

I fancy them to cause a bit of an upset here, actually, because Arsenal are so inconsistent away from home and I am never sure what kind of performance to expect from them.

Darren’s prediction: West Brom need a win, but I don’t think it is going to happen in this game. 0-1

In the last round of Premier League games, Lawro got six correct results, including two perfect scores, from 10 matches, for a total of 120 points.

He lost out to The Darkness singer Justin Hawkins, who got seven correct results, including three perfect scores, giving him a total of 160 points and putting him joint top of the guests leaderboard.

*Foster and Cram both provided predictions on week one, but only Foster’s score contributes to the guest total.

**Anderson and Moeen both provided predictions on week nine, but only Anderson’s score contributes to the guest total.

_*_Witter and Johnson both provided predictions on week 17, but only Johnson’s score contributes to the guest total.

Lawro’s worst score: 40 points (week four v Umenyiora and Bell, and week five v Non Stanford)

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Sourced from Southampton FC - Official Site article

Press Conference (Part Two): Pellegrino on United

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Sourced from Daily Mail article

Lawrenson: Van Dijk fee means he has to hit the ground running

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The pressure is on Virgil van Dijk straight away. I say that from experience as the day I joined Liverpool from Brighton for £900,000 in 1981, I was saddled with the title of ‘club record transfer’.

My fee was the talking point but I just put it to the back of my mind. The only thing you can influence is what you do on the pitch. The cost of transfers may have spiralled but nothing has changed in players having to prove themselves.

Liverpool had just won their third European Cup in four years and the one thing I wanted in those first days at Anfield was to be accepted. I walked into a dressing room full of trophy winners and I was desperate to show I could stand alongside them.

True, Liverpool have not won as much as they would have liked in recent seasons but that doesn’t mean Van Dijk will be thinking he can ease himself in. His team-mates will look at the fee and expect him to hit the ground running.

The pressure will come from the dressing room and the supporters but there is nothing wrong with that.

You should be under pressure at Liverpool because you are competing at the highest end of the game.

So what have Liverpool got for their money? I don’t see him as a leader in the mould of John Terry or Tony Adams but I do see an excellent defender, who is big and strong and good in the air. He will play the ball out from the back and the fans will love him.

He clearly has something about him, too. It takes character to turn down Manchester City and it proves why Jurgen Klopp was determined to stick to his guns.

If his arrival can lift the performances of those around him and improve results — the benefits of the investment will be seen straight away.

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Summary of non-mainstream articles: 29/12/2017 03:29:14

| | 4-2-3-1: Speedy Man United predicted XI vs Southampton - Rashford as strikerOLDTRAFFORDFAITHFUL |
| | Manchester United vs Southampton: Potential XI with Marcus Rashford up frontTHEPEOPLESPERSON |
|

| How Liverpool could line up at the back with Virgil van DijkMADABOUTEPL |
| | Transfer News - Liverpool Boss Discusses About Outgoing Players Following Virgil van Djik CaptureTHEKOPTIMES |
| | Warnock: Ex-Leeds star better defender than record Liverpool signingTEAMTALK |

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Sourced from Sky Sports article

Sean Dyche says Virgil van Dijk deal shows life getting harder for Burnley

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Sean Dyche says Virgil van Dijk’s record-breaking move to Liverpool shows life is only getting harder for Burnley in the Premier League.

Liverpool agreed a deal with Southampton on Wednesday to sign Van Dijk for £75m - a world-record fee for a defender.

Burnley’s record transfer fee is around five times smaller than the fee for van Dijk, and Dyche believes that difference shows how tough it is for clubs like Burnley to compete in the Premier League.

He said: "Nothing is impossible in football but sometimes probability outweighs possibility. The way it is going it is harder and harder.

"With Liverpool you have someone spending £75m on a centre-back and there are not many clubs who can compete with that.

“That £75m is probably pushing our transfer budget forever. That’s one player against the history of another club - in the same division. So that’s going to be hard to narrow the gaps on”.

Despite the financial disparity that exists between Burnley and many of the other clubs in the league, Dyche’s side sit seventh in the table - and just five points behind Liverpool.

Burnley will hope to beat Jurgen Klopp’s side when they host them on New Year’s Day, and Dyche believes the nature of the Premier League makes that kind of upset possible.

He said: "If you are buying in the highest end of the market constantly, in any walk of life, there is a fair chance it is going to operate in a higher fashion.

“But the marvel of the Premier League is you can still have one result. Huddersfield beat Manchester United, so there are random results which occur.”

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Sourced from Mirror.co.uk article

City line up two fresh targets after missing out on Van Dijk - Friday’s gossip

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Manchester City may be 15 points clear at the top of the Premier League but Pep Guardiola is keen to strengthen the Blues yet further.

And the first area to target is centre-back with Plan B to be pursued after missing out to Liverpool in the race for Virgil van Dijk.

The Reds swooped in to sign the Southampton star for £75m, while Vincent Kompany’s latest injury has left Guardiola frantically searching for alternatives.

City would not match Saints’ price tag for Van Dijk, insistsing £60m was their absolute limit, which leaves them considering a move for West Brom’s Jonny Evans, report the Telegraph.

Arsenal and Everton are also keen, meaning the Baggies should fetch £30m for the 29-year-old, which could push City to consider Real Sociedad’s Inigo Martinez as another option.

Southampton eye Theo Walcott return as part of January rebuild following Virgil van Dijk exit

The Saints are also eyeing Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge, Celtic’s Moussa Dembele and Swansea defender Alfie Mawson

Everton are on the brink of signing £25m Besiktas striker Cenk Tosun as Sam Allardyce lands Romelu Lukaku replacement

Chelsea are hopeful of fending off Real Madrid interest to seal new five-year deal for Thibaut Courtois

West Ham plot Joe Allen transfer as David Moyes looks to reshape struggling squad in January window

RB Leipzig make £17m move for Reece Oxford - but West Ham want to recall teenager from Bundesliga loan

Stoke, West Brom, West Ham and Newcastle will submit loan offers for Liverpool’s Danny Ings (Sky Sports)

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Sourced from Daily Mail article

Dyche: Van Dijk’s £75m move proves how tough life is for Burnley

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Burnley manager Sean Dyche believes Liverpool’s world-record capture of Virgil van Dijk explains why it will be increasingly hard to upset the Premier League’s established order.

Dyche has overseen a season of drastic over-performance at Turf Moor thus far, heading into Saturday’s game at Huddersfield in seventh place while presiding over a budget which sits more comfortably in the bottom three.

The campaign started with victory at Chelsea and there have been draws away at Liverpool, Tottenham and, on Boxing Day, Manchester United.

Earlier this month they even spent a night in the Champions League places following victory over Stoke.

But with Reds boss Jurgen Klopp kicking off the January market with a £75million deal for Van Dijk, the most ever paid for a defender, Dyche expects it to be a major challenge to keep up.

‘Nothing is impossible in football but sometimes probability outweighs possibility,’ he said.

'The way it is going it is harder and harder. We saw with Leicester it is not impossible, but it is improbable.

'If you have a team like Manchester City spending £100m on three full-backs that is an interesting thing. With Liverpool you have someone spending £75m on a centre-back and there are not many clubs who can compete with that.

'That £75m is probably pushing our transfer budget forever, or very close.

‘That’s one player against the history of another club - in the same division. So that’s going to be hard to narrow the gaps on.’

Yet Dyche’s own results this term - coupled with one notable scalp for their next opponents - are an important reminder that while the longer war may be a fruitless one, individual battles are there for the taking.

‘If you are buying in the highest end of the market constantly, in any walk of life, there is a fair chance it is going to operate in a higher fashion,’ he said.

‘But the marvel of the Premier League is you can still have one result. Huddersfield beat Manchester United, so there are random results which occur.’

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Summary of non-mainstream articles: 29/12/2017 04:29:20

| | Gini Wijnaldum hails Virgil van Dijk as a natural leaderREADLIVERPOOL |
| | Paper Round: Saints want Walcott and Sturridge, Man City target Van Dijk alternativesEUROSPORTUK |
| | Want-away Arsenal ace being eyed up for January transfer by Premier League sideCAUGHTOFFSIDE |
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| Gary Neville: What I really think about Liverpool FC signing Virgil van DijkSPORTREVIEWCOM |

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Summary of non-mainstream articles: 29/12/2017 05:29:28

| | Liverpool land Van Dijk in world record dealTHENEWSCOMPK |
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| Van Dijk arrival boosts LiverpoolNEWSTRAITSTIMES |
| | (Image) Even Tennis legends approve of Liverpool’s acquisition of Virgil van DijkTHICKACCENT |
| | Luis Garcia reacts on Twitter to Virgil van Dijk newsHEREISTHECITY |
| | Look at Virgil van Dijk - Celtic should not accept anything less than £30m for Moussa DembeleGLASGOWEVENINGTIMES |

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