Southampton have told Virgil van Dijk that he is not for sale this summer and believe that their complaint over Liverpool’s conduct – which may still result in a formal Premier League investigation – has shown how serious they are about their stance.

Liverpool were ready to pay a world-record £60 million fee for a defender for Van Dijk but Southampton were infuriated by stories suggesting that he wanted to join them and ultimately forced a public apology and promise from Liverpool that they would not pursue the player.

Van Dijk is only one season into a six-year deal and, amid interest also from Arsenal, Manchester City and Chelsea, Southampton have made it clear that they now expect their captain to return focused for pre-season following the injury that has sidelined him since January.

The Premier League is awaiting observations from Liverpool and Southampton before deciding whether any action will be taken over the south coast club’s demand for an investigation into whether there had been an illegal approach. Liverpool do not expect to know for certain if they will be in the clear until next week.

Southampton have sold star players in each of the previous three summers and, while offers in the region of £70 million may cause a reappraisal, now believe that he will stay.