Football News: Tottenham Hotspur join chase for Celtic's Dutch star.

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Tottenham Hotspur are the latest club to throw their hat in the ring over the pursuit of Celtic's Dutch centre-back Virgil van Dijk.

If reports are true Swansea, Newcastle, Arsenal, Manchester united and Southampton are amongst a host of clubs all supposedly ready to fight it out for the 23-year-old's signature when the January transfer window opens, but with Celtic having already qualified from the Europa League Group Stages the Glasgow club will do all they can to hold onto the Dutchman until the summer.

Celtic played hard-ball with van Dijk and his representatives last summer after the Dutchman made it clear that he was keen on a move to England. As the days ticked down to the transfer window closing it looked more and more likely that van Dijk would be joining Fraser Forster in leaving Celtic Park for pastures new until Celtic manager Ronny Deila came out and very publicly slapped a 'Not for sale' sign on their defensive rock.

One way or another van Dijk will not be a Celtic player come September 2015 but the club would like him to stay beyond January as they compete for four trophies and it would take a bid of more than £10 million to bring Celtic to the negotiating table next month.

Written by Mark B Jamieson December 08 2014 14:10:56