Why Man Utd & Chelsea turned down the chance to sign Liverpool man-mountain Virgil van Dijk for just £10m - revealed

Chelsea and United were offered a chance to sign van Dijk for just £10million ($12m) when the Dutchman was playing for Celtic. However, the Premier League giants rejected the opportunity as they were unsure of the player's quality at that time, as per ex-Scotland international Nevin.

Speaking to Grosvenor Sport, the 61-year-old said: "When it comes to Premier League clubs being unsure over signing players from Scotland, I remember being told by Manchester United and Chelsea that Virgil van Dijk made too many mistakes – but that’s because he was bored.

"Can you imagine how different things might have been if David Moyes had signed Virgil van Dijk? He ended up at Southampton and then Liverpool but teams didn’t want to pay the £10 million when he was at Celtic. Big money moves from Scotland to England are rare because teams are sceptical."

Van Dijk spent two years in Scotland before moving to England in 2015 where he first signed for Southampton and then moved to Liverpool in January 2018. At Anfield, the Dutchman established himself as one of the best defenders in the world and won every major trophy on offer with the Reds. In the 2018-19 season, Van Dijk was named UEFA Men's Player of the Year as he beat stalwarts like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo to bag the award.

Uncertainty looms over the 33-year-old's future at Anfield as he has entered the final six months of his contract and is yet to put pen to paper on a fresh deal. He will be next seen in action on Tuesday as Arne Slot's side takes on Nottingham Forest in the Premier League.