ALBION have cooled their interest in Dutch defender Virgil van Dijk as the saga over the future of suspended manager Gus Poyet rumbles on.

Van Dijk is expected to move into English football from Groningen next season but with a Premier League club rather than the Seagulls.

Poyet wanted to sign van Dijk in January when promotion-chasing Albion had two bids rejected for the 6ft 4in centre-half.

The club have turned their attentions elsewhere after missing out in the Championship play-offs and suspending Poyet, his assistant Mauricio Taricco and coach Charlie Oatway for alleged breaches of contract, although Taricco’s suspension has now been lifted.

Van Dijk’s agent Henk-Maarten Chin told The Argus: “It’s probably not going to happen any more. There is nothing at the moment from Brighton for Virgil, no movement.”

The highly-rated van Dijk has been linked with a host of Premier League clubs, including Manchester United, Everton and Newcastle.

Chin added: “There is still interest. Things are moving and he is very much interested in England. We are talking Premier League.”

Albion have two first team centre-halves under contract, captain Gordon Greer and 21-year-old Lewis Dunk.

Long-serving Adam El-Abd is still considering the offer of a new deal, while the Seagulls are likely to face competition from Championship rivals including Leicester and Leeds for veteran Matt Upson who has been released by Stoke following his influential loan stint at The Amex.

Another priority for Poyet’s successor will be left-back, with Wayne Bridge now at Reading and his understudy Marcos Painter not offered new terms.

Poyet will not be heading back to Spain to take charge of his old club Real Zaragoza. Paco Herrera, former coach at Liverpool and latterly boss at Celta, has been lined up for their managerial vacancy.