Arne Slot could have a dilemma on his hands as key Liverpool star discusses his future
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Liverpool have a lot to consider in the lead up to Arne Slot’s first season in charge. The exit of Jurgen Klopp was always going to unsettle the waters at Anfield and right now, there is a fair bit of uncertainty at the club regarding who will be present for the Dutchman’s debut run.
For almost the entire second half of 2023, media outlets around the world were kept busy with the ongoing Mohamed Salah rumours. Saudi Pro League clubs made it the Egyptian superstar their top priority and Al-Ittihad tabled an eye-watering £150 million, which the Reds swiftly rejected. Despite the determination to make Salah the new poster boy of the SPL though, rumours have gone quiet in recent weeks and months.
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Hide AdThere is still some speculation surrounding Salah but other players are now also being cast into doubt. Luis Díaz has been heavily linked with a dream transfer as Barcelona are keen on bringing him to Camp Nou this summer. There have also been murmurs of interest gathering over Virgil van Dijk but the skipper said himself at the end of last season that he is happy at Anfield and is looking towards being part of the upcoming transition.
However, this narrative has since been flipped on its head. A disappointed Van Dijk spoke to the media after the Netherlands were knocked out of Euro 2024 by England this week, and the response when asked about his future was a lot less promising that the answer he gave just a couple of months ago.
When asked about his future for both club and country, the 33-year-old said: “I haven’t the slightest idea right now. I will think carefully this summer about what I want at club level and as an international player. Then we’ll go for it again, but first recover from this. After a season like this, where all kinds of things have happened, it gets emotional at the end because you know it’s over.”
Van Dijk was visibly emotional during Klopp’s farewell and it had many growing concerned over whether it was enough to make him leave too. Carrying the weight of his country’s semi-final defeat on his shoulders has clearly sparked the need to consider the options ahead of him.
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Hide AdAs things stand, Liverpool’s captain is out of contract in less than 12 months, along with Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold. Despite the magnitude of rumours surrounding Salah since last summer, it’s now Van Dijk who seems like the most likely to move on, based on his recent comments.
Hopefully for Liverpool fans, it’s just the disappointment talking, but losing Van Dijk would be a major blow for Slot and the rest of the team. Not only will the Reds be without one of the best defenders the club has ever had, but his leadership will also be sorely missed, especially during the start of this new era.
Sporting director Richard Hughes recently teased that the Reds are in for a busy end to the transfer window, telling reporters during a press conference that July is expected to be a quiet period, followed by a ‘crescendo in August’. Could this highly anticipated August come with an announcement about Van Dijk?
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