As this uniquely tumultuous summer transfer window continues, having already guaranteed the loss of Mohamed Salah, Andy Robertson, and Ibrahima Konaté, the rumour is that captain Virgil van Dijk may be next. The 34-year-old Dutchman has been the backbone of this Liverpool team since he arrived in January 2018.
Apparently some at the club are regretting the lucrative new contract that he signed last year and are now said to be open to offers from other clubs. Blame for Liverpool’s poor title defense
seems to be landing on his shoulders now that Arne Slot is out of the picture. It is said that van Dijk is no longer “untouchable” in the eyes of the higher ups making these decisions.
To no one’s surprise, there’s interest around Europe at the prospect of acquiring the veteran Dutch captain. AC Milan is the team being bandied around the most, with new manager Ruben Amorim sending out feelers for what Liverpool are looking for in a potential deal. Other interested parties are the Turkish clubs Galatasaray and Fenerbahce. Then there is the usual interest from MLS and the Saudi Pro League, who always have their eyes on big name players over 30-years-old.
While the door has been opened for a possible move, reports have stressed that the club isn’t actively looking to sell, but just that the option is now on the table, should a lucrative enough offer appear. With the departure of Konaté, should van Dijk — and possibly even Alisson Becker — leave as well, it would give Iraola the responsibility of creating a whole new defense for the team.
It isn’t often that a team changes over the summer in such fundamental ways as Liverpool will be. The World Cup has hindered the early deals that Liverpool usually tries to make, but in a few weeks when the tournament wraps up, it will be fascinating to watch how Andoni Iraola and the transfer committee reshape the squad to prepare for this season.
