https://twitter.com/TEAMtalk/status/895961492994101248Van Dijk appears set on forcing a move however, and Pellegrino admitted there could come a point where Southampton may not be able to alter the 26-year-old’s stance.
“My reaction is the same that I said three weeks ago: we are expecting him (Van Dijk) to come back, to train with us because we need the players, we need all of them,” said the manager.
“Hopefully he can change his point of view. Virgil is an important player and we need him focused on our club.”
Asked if Southampton can genuinely retain an unhappy player, Pellegrino said: “But the club was clear from the beginning with the player.
“We can’t control every single situation. We can decide our dynamic in this group and Virgil is part of our group; he has a contract.
“He has spoken with (executive director) Les Reed. We’ve spoken with the player but not too much, a couple of meetings.
“I was clear, the club was clear, he was clear on his position. But we have to keep going because I can’t control the thinking or the feeling of the player.”
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