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Southampton have won the race to sign Virgil van Dijk, writes Neil Moxley and Tom Hopkinson in the Sunday People.

The Saints have beaten off competition from a string of English clubs to land the Celtic centre-back in a £10million deal.

And boss Ronald Koeman will try again for Tottenham’s Andros Townsend if he loses Sadio Mane to Manchester United.

Koeman insists Senegal international Mane has told him he does not want to leave the south coast.

But Southampton are bracing themselves for a fresh bid from Louis van Gaal this week, with United understood to already have offered £15m.

(Image: Getty)

Van Dijk was omitted from Celtic’s side at Dundee United on Saturday and will not play in Tuesday’s Champions League qualifying return at Malmo.

He will instead link up with his new team-mates following a switch to the south coast club.

Van Dijk, 24, has been on the radar of several Premier League suitors, with Everton among those who were interested in the centre-half.

(Image: Jordan Mansfield)

The Saints have been monitoring Tottenham and England star Townsend’s situation at White Hart Lane.

They will firm up their interest in the winger, rated around £12m, if United are successful in their bid to prise Mane away from St Mary’s.

With Van Dijk gone, Celtic will press ahead with their bid to land Jozo Simunovic from Dinamo Zagreb.