Arsenal and Manchester United target Virgil van Dijk has denied any interest in a move away from Celtic, insisting that he has never asked to leave the club, despite the speculation surrounding him and a potential future transfer to the Premier League, as reported by the Daily Star.
Both clubs reportedly targeted him as a potential £10 million buy during the summer months.
Despite the speculation, the defender never came close to making a move.
There were, however, suggestions that the Dutch bruiser asked for a move away from the Scottish champions this summer, and Van Dijk has moved swiftly to put a dampener on those rumours.
He said: “It’s a compliment for me that the club wanted me to stay but I didn’t say literally I want to leave. Never.
“But I never said, ‘I want to leave now’. I am focused on Celtic and I am happy here.
“I never had any problem with the gaffer, he’s a good guy.
“I’m happy at Celtic and always will be. This is the club that gave me a chance and I’ve never had problems with anyone here.
“When everyone was saying I wanted to leave and were saying negative things about me it was disappointing.”
Both Man Utd and Arsenal require defensive recruits, with Arsenal’s situation the more pressing. After the injury suffered by Mathieu Debuchy against Manchester City, Arsenal are lacking depth across their defence.
They did, however, manage a huge 3-0 win this weekend away from home against the previously undefeated Aston Villa.
