Celtic star Virgil van Dijk will cost a pretty penny, but Arsenal should take the chance

When silly season comes around it is a fair bet to think that each and every club will have their own ludicrous story haunting them.

Chelsea have kicked us off with links to Lionel Messi and whilst Arsenal have been linked with a fair few ‘never going to happen’ transfers, one that Arsene Wenger should move heaven and earth to make happen is that of Virgil van Dijk.

The Celtic defender has been heavily linked with a move to the Gunners along with Chris Smalling and Raphael Varane.

Now whilst Varane is a distant dream even the most generous of Santa Clauses could not deliver for the north London club and Smalling is certainly one that should be avoided unless they want to revisit Halloween once again, the Celtic star is certainly a viable option.

Van Dijk is young, talented and available for the right price – albeit a very high one.

Whilst Celtic fans do nothing but sing the praises of the Dutchman – not to mention make the point that he should be continuing his footballing education at the club before making a move to the Premier League where he could have to spend some time on the bench before breaking into the first team – something that could destroy his promising career before it has even really begun.

They also point to the fact that by staying at Celtic, he would be getting the chance to play first team football for a huge club and experience that is unparalleled for most young stars his age – but that may not be enough to keep him should Wenger come calling with his chequebook open and ready to make a statement in the season half of the season.

If nothing else, given he is only 23, he will have a huge resale value when one of Arsenal’s buyers come calling. Oh, and he can’t be worse than Nacho Monreal in the heart of defence can he!

Celtic fans. Just how important has Van Dijk become to you? Should you cash in now or wait until his star is higher? Let us know your thoughts below, become a guest blogger or tweet us @LaFootyettes.