MANCHESTER CITY BEAT LIVERPOOL AND CHELSEA TO £60MILLION SIGNING OF SOUTHAMPTON DEFENDER VIRGIL VAN DIJK

Virgil van Dijk is heading to Manchester City .

Southampton's prized asset will link up with Pep Guardiola's side following a £60m transfer when the window opens next month.

Despite overtures from Liverpool and Chelsea , the Premier League's big-hitters have simply blown their competitors out of the water by making a mammoth offer to the centre-half.

Van Dijk is set to trouser over £200,000-a-week in a monster five-year deal that will make him the world's most expensive defender.

The move comes just ten months after John Stones earned that title following his £50m switch from Everton.

But now Manchester City will eclipse that themselves after Van Dijk decided his future lay with Guardiola.

The news will come as a major blow to both of his other suitors.

Van Dijk, 25, is understood to have been impressed with Jurgen Klopp's vision for the Merseysiders and the Reds genuinely believed they were in with a shout of convincing him to join them.

While Antonio Conte's bid to bolster their backline, despite their current status as title-winners, was not sufficient to turn the head of the Dutch international.

But when details of the offer from the Etihad were laid before the player they were just impossible to turn down.

The centre-half has played just 55 times for the Saints since moving from Celtic for £11.5m almost two years ago.

He injured his ankle and was ruled out of the final part of last season but he has since posted footage on social media of him working out.

The news will give Guardiola a major boost ahead of the new season with playmaker Bernardo Silva and keeper Ederson already confirmed to arrive in an £80m double swoop from Monaco and Benfica respectively.

While those arrivals were being confirmed, it also appears that Manchester City have decided that Nolito can return to Spain.

The winger was signed from Celta Vigo for £13.7m last season but made just nine starts in the Premier League.

His former club are understood to have agreed to take him back to La Liga – with Manchester City set to receive half their initial fee for the player.