Southampton are adamant that club captain Virgil van Dijk will not be sold before the transfer window closes on Thursday despite interest from Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal.

The Dutch defender, who has been training with the club’s Under-23 squad has been embroiled in an acrimonious stand-off with Southampton since Liverpool expressed an interest in him earlier this summer.

Van Dijk attempted to push through his departure by issuing a formal transfer request and publishing a statement condemning the club’s handling of his future after Southampton questioned his frame of mind and asked the Premier League to investigate whether Liverpool had breached any rules in their approach for the player.

Southampton have been unwavering in their stance that they would not sell their club captain, who agreed a new six-year contract with them only last year.

However, in rapidly accelerating transfer market, a conservative estimate would place Van Dijk’s value at upwards of £50m and it remains to be seen whether the Saints could refuse an offer of such magnitude for a player that has expressed a desire to leave.