1 year ago
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Photo by James Gill - Danehouse/Getty Images
The new captain sympathizes with fans’ frustrations.
With less than a week until the new season begins at Stamford Bridge, Virgil van Dijk has joined the fans in feeling frustration over not bringing in enough replacements in the transfer market. Half of the midfield has gone, including the captain and vice-captain. While the introduction of Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai has been welcome, the team has yet to secure a replacement for Fabinho in the defensive midfield position.
The club is chasing Romeo Lavia, the 19-year-old from Southampton to fill the role of the seasoned Fabinho. The deal looks more and more likely to happen, with the player sitting out Southampton’s final preseason game, presumably in preparation for a move. However, the process has now stretched most of the summer, meaning that Lavia will miss out on the preseason with the team if he does join.
“I can definitely understand it (fans’ negativity) in some ways but I’m not a very negative person, so obviously it’s not in my mind to think like that,” van Dijk said.
“But obviously when a lot of players are leaving, when your captain is leaving, your vice-captain is leaving, and at the moment there are only two incomings…
“And the way we have been playing, in possession really good but defensively when you concede goals it’s not as good I can understand some people having doubts.”
Van Dijk has taken to his role as leader and new captain well. He’s never been one to pull punches, and hopefully his tactful nudge at the owners will help encourage some faster movement in the market as the clock ticks down.
