Celtic defender Virgil van Dijk has admitted that he is delighted to have been linked with Premier League side Arsenal in recent times.
The Dutch defender has long been linked with a move from Scotland to England with Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger a keen admirer of his ability.
The 23-year-old has also gained interest from the likes of Everton and Sunderland during the January transfer window, forcing Celtic to increase his asking price to £10m in a bid to beat off interest.
“It’s [Van Dijk’s time at Celtic] gone awfully quickly,” he told De Telegraaf.
“I have recently been thinking a bit about it [his career]. I am now 23 and have played at Willem II, FC Groningen and Celtic and am now linked to clubs like Arsenal. Isn’t that great?
“There are a lot of clubs interested, but Celtic is holding on to a big transfer fee. The club is clear: they don’t want to let me go in the winter, because we’re playing for four trophies.
“I understand the point of view from the club and I see it as a compliment that they don’t want to let me go. But we have to be realistic. If there’s a nice club from England, we have to talk. I want to develop myself as a player, that’s for sure.”