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Southampton eye £10m Toulouse star Christopher Jullien as replacement for £50m-rated skipper Virgil van Dijk

SOUTHAMPTON have identified Toulouse centre-half Christopher Jullien as a potential replacement for skipper Virgil Van Dijk.

Saints boss Claude Puel is resigned to losing the influential Van Dijk this summer, with Chelsea, Liverpool and Everton all keen on the £50million-rated defender.

Marseille star Bafetimbi Gomis fends off Southampton target Christopher Jullien of Toulouse
Marseille’s Bafetimbi Gomis fends off Toulouse’s Saints target Christopher Jullien
Getty Images

And Puel is already scouring the market for a defensive back-up, with 24-year-old Jullien top of his list.

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Jullien, a former FIFA World Under-20 winner with France, is a tall, imposing centre-half with the same physical attributes as Van Dijk.

He has only come to the fore in the last two years after failing to impress following a move from Auxerre to German club Freiburg in 2013.

But he did enough on loan at Dijon to convince Toulouse to buy him for £2million last summer and now he would cost Saints around £10million.

Virgil Van Dijk has emerged as arguably the best central defender in the Premier League
Virgil Van Dijk has emerged as arguably the best central defender in the Prem Lge
PA:Press Association
Saints manager Claude Puel is planning for the possible loss of star player Virgil Van Dijk
Saints manager Claude Puel is planning for the possible loss of Virgil Van Dijk
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Defender Virgil Van Dijk has been linked with a move aw from Southampton in the summer
Defender Virgil Van Dijk has been linked with a move away from Southampton
Reuters

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