Southampton manager Mauricio Pellegrino has insisted that Virgil van Dijk "is focused 100%" on helping his side to a big result against Liverpool next weekend.

The Netherlands international missed out on a big-money move to Merseyside during the summer, despite handing in a transfer request at St Mary's Stadium.

Liverpool were forced to pull out of a tabling a bid after allegedly making an illegal approach, but they could return for the centre-back when the transfer window reopens in seven weeks' time.

Regardless of the ongoing speculation surrounding Van Dijk's future, Pellegrino has backed the former Celtic defender to give his all for the Saints at Anfield on Saturday afternoon.

"I don't think it will be difficult because Virgil knows he is focused 100% on our team and is training well," Sky Sports News quotes him as saying. "He wants to improve his performances because obviously he was injured in [January] and then he didn't play any games.

"Obviously we cannot control the [transfer] market and every single transfer window clubs are looking to buy our players. But we are looking for players to try to improve our squad too. It's part of our job. Football today is a big business - we have to understand this.

"Now clubs are fighting in the market to find the best player and we have a lot of good players - it's part of our job. It's no secret that sometimes players are distracted but it's normal."

Van Dijk has been restricted to five starts for Southampton in the Premier League this term due to the serious foot injury sustained in January.