If the SPFL ever require an ambassador they don’t need to look any further than Chris Sutton.
The BT Sport pundit and Daily Record columnist is never short of an opinion or slow to speak up for Scottish football.
As the transfer window prepares to open Virgil van Dijk is the big ticket down south.
Yesterday Southampton put a £60m price tag on the defender but it’s hard to imagine them turning down an offer around £50m making the former Celt the most expensice defender in British football.
Fifteen months ago van Dijk joined Southampton with the fee of £10m quoted at the time although it seems to have been vevived up to £13m.
Over the course of 60 matches for Southampton the value of the Dutchman has risen by £50m!
Sutton has watched van Dijk throughout his time at Southampton and believes that it’s time for Scottish clubs to ensure that they get a fair deal in the transfer market.
“Comparing him with Stones (John, now at Manchester City) was fair game and I felt that van Dijk had more about him in terms of ball control, positioning, defensive ability and all-round game as a centre-back,” he explained in the Daily Record.
“But it was the same old arguments. He’s only playing in Scottish football, he’s not getting tested, he doesn’t need to that good to look like a star up there.
“Making these statements and judgements is lazy punditry and scouting and it shows me someone who can’t stop a player.
“Isn’t it ironic that Manchester City ended up paying out £48 million for Stones in the end and now are going to have to pay the same amount to get van Dijk in the door after less than 18 months at Southampton because the Englishman isn’t cutting it and not rated at the same level as the Dutchman.
“Actually, it’s not ironic, it’s sad. You have to ask yourself why it is Southampton who are getting the £50 million for van Dijk when Celtic took just £15 million.
“He’s not changed that much in 18 months. Van Dijk was a player then and he’s a player now.”