Virgil van Dijk is heading into the final year of his Liverpool contract (Image: UEFA via Getty Images)
With just one year remaining on his Anfield contract, Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk is being watched by several elite European clubs, signaling a turbulent summer ahead for Merseyside.
New Liverpool manager Arne Slot has made Virgil van Dijk’s future his first priority, with Borussia Dortmund leading a group of European teams that are expected to chase the Dutch defender.
With one more season left on his contract and Slot starting a new era at Anfield next month, the captain of the Kop is not in a rush to sign a new agreement.
Van Dijk, who turns 33 in July, still has a great deal of motivation and desire to compete at the greatest level. The defender missed ten months of action after suffering a severe cruciate knee injury against Everton in October 2020. After making a full recovery, he lost to Real Madrid in the 2022 Champions League Final in Paris but won an FA Cup and two League Cups.
Van Dijk must choose whether to end his career at Liverpool or take a different route due to the demanding nature of the Premier League and the hectic schedule of football.
Slot will attempt to convince his compatriot to remain at Anfield longer, but it’s thought that Dortmund has van Dijk on their radar.
Mats Hummels, a seasoned defender for Dortmund who turns 36 in December, has an expiring contract this summer and has not yet committed to a possible one-year extension. Dortmund is thought to be covering their bases in case van Dijk leaves Anfield this summer. Dortmund will play Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League semi-finals on Wednesday.
It’s thought that teams in Holland, Spain, Turkey, and Italy are also closely monitoring van Dijk’s condition.
Though Klopp’s ending of his Liverpool reign has disappointed van Dijk, Slot is hoping the captain of the Kop will stay at Anfield for at least another year.
