Arsenal passed on chance to sign £75m Premier League star

Arsenal were given a chance to sign Virgil van Dijk for just £12 million but refused over fears he was ‘too nonchalant’ for the Premier League.

The Liverpool star has now established himself as arguably the best centre-back in the division following his record £75 million move to Anfield.

But many clubs passed up the chance to recruit him when he was at Celtic before Southampton got him, and the Scottish champions’ former assistant manager says the Gunners were chief among them.

‘Arsenal’s chief scout [Steve Rowley] thought he was too nonchalant,’ John Collins told beIN Sport. ‘Maybe that was part of his game, but he ticks so many of the other boxes.

‘He’s got pace, power, balance, distribution and he’s good in the air. ‘He can be a bit nonchalant, but he is a quality player.

‘Gary McAllister was the assistant to Brendan Rodgers at Liverpool, and I told him I hope you’re going to come and take Virgil, but Brendan didn’t fancy him and didn’t think he was better than what he already had.

‘He would’ve cost around £12m – every team watched him regularly but the worry was he was showing it against Scottish players, but you could tell he was strong, powerful and a well balanced player.

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