Liverpool will contact Southampton later in the transfer window with a fresh approach for Virgil van Dijk, according to reports on Tuesday.

The Reds called off their pursuit of the Dutch defender earlier this month after Saints reported them to the Premier League over an illegal approach for the player.

Liverpool were forced to apologise for their public courtship of the former Celtic star for the south coast club to drop all action against the Merseysiders.

However, reports in both the Daily Telegraph and The Times suggest Liverpool’s efforts to prise the player from Saints are far from over.

The Telegraph claims Liverpool very much have an active interest in the £60million-rated defender and could launch a new bid for his services ‘later in the window’.

The paper writes “it remains to be seen how the player himself interpreted events and whether the saga of his next move has run its course.”

This is reinforced by the Times‘ Paul Joyce, with the expectation being that the Reds will make another approach this summer.

It was widely reported Van Dijk was keen to join Liverpool and play for Jurgen Klopp, and while the player has kept his counsel throughout the saga, he could yet help push the deal through by informing the club he wishes to leave.

Southampton for their part have no need or wish to sell the player, but would find it hard to keep hold of a player who no longer wishes to play for them and they could yet sanction a deal if the money was right.

Reports earlier this month suggested the club were seeking anything up to £75million for the player, and while the Reds would not go that high, a deal of around £60million could be struck.

Liverpool were linked with a move for Napoli’s Kalidou Koulibaly but there’s no doubting Van Dijk remains their preferred choice and any move for the Dutchman would certainly be welcomed by Anfield legend Steven Gerrard, who said: “I’d love to see him in a red shirt. I’m a huge fan.

“I thought he was fantastic at Celtic and I thought we should have had a go for him back then,” he added.