Southampton manager Claude Puel is planning for life without star defender Virgil van Dijk next season with the signing of Toulouse skipper Christopher Jullien, reports The Sun.
Van Dijk has been injured since January and may have already played his last game for the club as a summer move away from the club beckons with the likes of Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool interested in his services.
Southampton would be reluctant to lose Van Dijk but they are also expecting to command £50m for his signature, a sum that would be too good to turn down for the south coast club.
As a result Puel’s side have begun to plan for life without their captain and have identified Jullien as a potential replacement in a deal that would only cost them £10m.
The 24-year-old only joined Toulouse last summer in a deal worth a reported £2m but his performances have impressed this season and now the Ligue 1 outfit could be set for a big payday.
Jullien, a former France underage international, is Toulouse’s second highest rated player in Ligue 1 this season (7.24) after winning four WhoScored Man of the Match awards, as well as scoring an impressive four goals from centre-back.
For more stats on Christopher Jullien, click here to visit his WhoScored player page
