Virgil van Dijk training alone at Southampton

The 26-year-old Dutch international defender had been expected to join Liverpool in a £50m transfer, but the move fell apart amid a tapping-up scandal.

Southampton manager Mauricio Pellegrino said that Van Dijk is not mentally, "100%."

Speaking to BBC Radio Solent, Pellegrino said: "When I was talking with him, the boy said that he is not available to play because he wants to leave.

"I need to work with a player that works at 100% to defend Southampton.

"This is the decision. I had to say: 'OK, if you don't want to be involved because you don't feel OK, you have to train alone until this period of time.'"

Pellegrino went on to say that he wants to keep the defender at the club.

"We need the player, but 100% - this is the question."

"I hope that Virgil can review his feelings, because you know that today players are big business - not just the player but behind him there is a lot of interest.

"I want to help the squad, I want to help Virgil but we need a player, I repeat, involved in every training session, involved not just with the body but with the mind on the pitch with the rest of the players."

Van Dijk is still attracting interest from clubs such as Chelsea and Manchester City.