Arsenal are said to be closer to signing Southampton defender Virgil van Dijk than their rivals due to the Saints wanting Theo Walcott involved in any deal.

Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal are battling it out for the Dutchman’s signature this week, with the transfer window shutting tomorrow evening. Liverpool and Chelsea seem reluctant to pay Southampton’s asking price, but with Arsenal becoming desperate – they could be in line to splash the cash and use one of their own players as part of a deal.

Van Dijk submitted a transfer request earlier this summer and looks more than likely to leave. The Saints want a fee in excess of £55m for the centre back, which is a position Arsenal are in desperate need of bolstering.

Emanuele Giulianelli, an Italian journalist, claims Saints would be willing to strike a deal with Arsenal if they could get Theo Walcott back to the club as part of the deal.

He told Tribal Football: “Talking about Virgil Van Dijk, the deal with Southampton for the Dutch defender is not easy, because the Saints don’t have the urgency to sell, so they are free to wait for the right offer and, in the meantime, can afford the luxury of even keeping him out of the squad.”

“But Arsenal have the right key to convince Southampton: Theo Walcott has been a target of the Saints for a long time and they will ask Wenger to include the winger in the deal.”

Walcott left Southampton for Arsenal in 2006 but has never really hit the ground running at the Emirates. The forward has been linked with a move away in recent times, and perhaps now is the time for him to move on.