Chelsea have joined the battle for Southampton defender Virgil van Dijk.
The tapping up affair and Liverpool's subsequent apology has forced the Reds to wait in the wings hoping Southampton give them the green light to make a bid.
Van Dijk, meanwhile, has been refusing to play for Mauricio Pellegrino's side.
And The Times says Chelsea are now hoping to take advantage of the situation by signing van Dijk this summer.
Antonio Conte has persuaded the club's board to make a £50m offer for the 26-year-old, a player he has been tracking since January.
The London club are said to be hoping that Liverpool's poor relationship with the Saints will hand them the advantage in the race to sign van Dijk.
Source: tribalfootball.com