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Van Dijk is a former Netherlands Under-21 international

Southampton have completed a £13m move for Dutch defender Virgil van Dijk from Scottish champions Celtic.

The 24-year-old has agreed a five-year contract with the Premier League club after passing a medical.

Van Dijk joined Celtic in 2013 after three years with Groningen and has won two successive league titles and the Scottish Cup with the Bhoys.

"Moving to the Premier League is the right time for my development," he told Southampton's official website. external-link

"Southampton is the perfect step for me right now. I want to play as much as possible, get settled in quick and show everyone what I'm capable of and do well with the team."

Van Dijk said after Celtic's Champions League play-off loss to Malmo that he was considering his Bhoys future.

Meanwhile, Saints forward Emmanuel Mayuka, 24, has left to join French club Metz on a three-year deal. external-link

The Zambia international, who was top scorer at the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations, joined Saints from Young Boys in August 2012 and scored once in 19 appearances.

He spent the 2013-14 season on loan at French side Lorient.

Deadline day - a Southampton fan's view "For Southampton it was a fairly uneventful day, with only one incoming and no departures from the club. "Despite unnecessary drama from certain quarters, Saints retained both Sadio Mane and Victor Wanyama. "The Kenyan midfielder would do well to heed boss Ronald Koeman's advice and learn from Morgan Schneiderlin. "With application, he too can do better than a move to Spurs next summer. Overall though, a day of positives for supporters of Southampton." Connor Armstrong, Southampton blogger and season-ticket holder

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