Exclusive:
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has just one year left on his contract at Anfield and has a number of leading European clubs already keeping tabs on his situation, with a summer of upheaval ahead on Merseyside
Virgil van Dijk’s future is a top priority for incoming Liverpool boss Arne Slot with Borussia Dortmund leading several European clubs set to pursue the Dutch defender.
The Kop skipper has a year left on his contract and isn’t rushing to sign a new deal with Jurgen Klopp leaving next month and Slot ushering in a new era at Anfield.
Van Dijk, 33 in July, still has huge drive and ambition and wants to play on at the highest level. The defender suffered a serious cruciate knee injury against Everton in October 2020 and didn’t play for 10 months. He made a full recovery winning an FA Cup, two League Cups and losing to Real Madrid in the 2022 Champions League Final in Paris.
But with the demands of football’s crazy calendar and the intense nature of the Premier League, van Dijk is at a crossroads over his next move and has to decide if he wants to end his career at Liverpool.
Slot will hope to persuade his fellow countryman to extend his stay at Anfield but Dortmund are believed to have van Dijk on their radar.
Veteran Dortmund defender Mats Hummels, who will be 36 in December, is out of contract this summer and as yet hasn’t committed to a potential one year extension. Dortmund, who host Paris Saint Germain in the Champions League semi-finals on Wednesday, are believed to be covering their bases with van Dijk of interest if he quits Anfield this summer.
It’s believed clubs in Spain, Turkey, Italy and Holland are also keeping close tabs on van Dijk’s situation.
However, Slot is hoping van Dijk will at least be at Anfield for one more year even though the Kop skipper is disappointed Klopp is bringing down the curtain on his Liverpool reign.
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