Southampton chairman Ralph Krueger says that the club will not sell Chelsea and Liverpool target Virgil van Dijk this summer due to needing to make a statement.
Van Dijk is keen to quit the Saints and has been linked with Liverpool for much of the summer, while Chelsea have also been mooted as a potential destination for the Netherlands international.
But Southampton want to hold on to the centre-back and Krueger insists that is exactly what the south coast club will do.
The Southampton chairman told the Press Association: "Virgil is not for sale in this window and it's not personal. It's not about him, it's about an overall much, much bigger picture.
"It's the principle, path and statement we need to make to get to a new space as a club", Krueger continued.
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"We're adamant about carrying this through."
The Southampton chairman's comments would appear to end any chance of Chelsea or Liverpool capturing Van Dijk in the remaining weeks of the summer transfer window.
However, the club's stance may still be tested with offers as the deadline draws ever closer.
Southampton signed Van Dijk, who has won 12 caps at international level for the Netherlands, from Scottish giants Celtic in 2015, and he has grown into a key man at the club.
