Liverpool are open to offers for their captain, Virgil van Dijk, as the 35-year-old defender enters the final year of his contract at Anfield, according to reports from TEAMtalk. The Dutch international, who turns 35 this month, is no longer seen as 'untouchable' by the club, though new Reds boss Andoni Iraola is not pushing for his exit. Van Dijk and Liverpool 'are prepared to evaluate any serious offer on its merits before making a decision', the outlet claims.
The development comes as Liverpool's summer transfer activity has quietened after the £34.5million signing of Spanish winger Victor Munoz from Osasuna and the arrival of defender Jeremy Jacquet from Rennes in a deal worth around £60m, which was agreed in January. But recent weeks have seen the Reds linked with targets such as Yan Diomande and Bradley Barcola — only to be dealt blows on both fronts. Diomande supposedly elected to join Paris Saint-Germain, and now Barcola is reportedly favouring a move to Arsenal instead.
“Liverpool are open to offers for captain Virgil van Dijk, who turns 35 this month, as the club no longer see him as untouchable.”
Speaking on the Anfield Index podcast, the Daily Mail's Lewis Steele said: “I do think he probably will end up leaving PSG. He’s got a decision to make and he might prefer Arsenal. He’s probably looking at [Mikel] Arteta, and he might want to live in …” Steele added that Liverpool are simply not seen as glamorous a proposition this year as last when they were Premier League champions.
Meanwhile, TEAMtalk also reported that former Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim has made Van Dijk a primary target for his new club, Milan. Galatasaray in Turkey have also been credited with interest in the centre-back, who has been a transformative signing since his £75m move from Southampton in January 2018. Van Dijk has helped Liverpool win two Premier League titles, the 2019 Champions League, and numerous domestic trophies, while also playing in two other European Cup finals, both lost to Real Madrid. With his contract at Anfield running until the summer of 2027, the coming weeks could determine whether one of the club's modern greats makes an exit.