Southampton will be tempted to sell Virgil van Dijk if they receive a £50m bid says Matt Le Tissier

Southampton star Virgil van Dijk will be sold if an interested club can table a bid of £50m ($63.6m) and upwards in January, according to club legend Matt Le Tissier. He signed a new six-year deal at St Mary's Stadium last May and has been attracting a lot of interest.

The Dutch international was signed by Ronald Koeman from Celtic in 2015. The latter left the south coast club to take the vacant job at Everton, resulting in the Saints appointing Claude Puel as his successor.

Van Dijk has excelled under Puel's guidance and has been a key player in Southampton's back four that boasts the second best defensive record in the Premier League with only 12 goals conceded, two more than Chelsea.

According to Goal.com, Manchester United are looking at the option of bringing the 25-year-old to Old Trafford in the mid-season transfer window as Jose Mourinho looks to bolster his centre-back position. The Red Devils are not the only club keen on signing him as their arch rivals Liverpool are also in the race for his signature.

Le Tissier believes it will be a tough situation for his former club to retain Van Dijk beyond the January transfer window if they receive a bid above £50m for their star player.

"It would be fantastic [if the club refused any bids]. Virgil only signed a new long-term contract recently so the club are in a strong position," Le Tissier told talkSPORT.

"But if somebody comes in with a £50m or £60m bid, can you really stand in the way of the player? That's the thing you have to consider."

"Sometimes it almost looks like the game is too easy for him. He looks like a man playing in an under-14s game, that's what it looks like at times. He's just immense. He's been fantastic for us."