Chelsea take poll position in race to sign Virgil van Dijk

Southampton highly-rated centre-back Virgil van Dijk is thought to be the subject of a £50 million bid from Premier League leaders Chelsea.

The Blues are reported to have taken the pole position in race to sign the Southampton defender, who has been tracked by the host of Premier League rivals including clubs from Manchester, Arsenal and Liverpool.

The Sun has learned that Arsenal wanted to make the Dutchman one of the highest-paid players in the team, but Virgil van Dijk has reportedly passed up the move to the Emirates as he prefers to join Chelsea.

The Blues are looking for a long-term replacement for captain John Terry and have identified Virgil van Dijk as one of the best available options.

Premier League leaders are confident they will be able to seal the deal for the Dutchman as they offered to include young defender Andreas Christensen in the deal with Southampton.