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The Reds have had a manic summer so far but it will all be worthwhile by the time the new season rolls around.

They have strengthened significantly and will continue to do so, with Liverpool aiming to do one of the hardest jobs in football and retain their title.

Manchester City and Arsenal will have something to say about that, however, and both sides are doing their best to strengthen and close the gap to Arne Slot’s side.

As with all top teams, they will, of course, have similar targets all over the pitch, but this has been the case for quite some time, fans just may not have realised due to deals being less publicised until only fairly recently.

Arsenal in particular were keen on a player that eventually went to Liverpool, with their mistake turning out to be one of the Reds’ biggest gains in recent history.

Photo by Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images

If you asked Liverpool fans to name a player who has come in and changed the trajectory of the club forever, Virgil van Dijk would be one of the first to spring to mind.

However, what if supporters were told that he had the chance to sign for Arsenal first?

Well, that was actually the case when the Dutchman was at Celtic, with their manager at the time Neil Lennon revealing that the Gunners were worried about his defensive capabilities and opted against signing him.

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“What amazed me was that he didn’t go to one of the big clubs straight away.

I remember Arsenal rang me about him, and I said to them: ‘What are you ringing me for, he’s ready!’ They were saying they were not sure about the defensive side of his game.”

This has proven to be one of Arsenal’s most costly mistakes as he eventually moved to Southampton for just £15m, a fee that would have made him one of the biggest coups in Arsenal’s history.

However, Arsenal’s loss is certainly Liverpool’s gain, although the Gunners will be kicking themselves as he could have been the difference in their pursuit of that long-awaited Premier League title.

Becoming one of the Reds’ best is an achievement harder than most due to the sheer number of quality players the club have had over the years, but van Dijk definitely falls into this bracket.

The Dutchman has been a colossus in the heart of the defence for Liverpool since he joined in 2018 for a then-world record fee for a defender, racking up over 300 appearances in that time.

He is widely regarded as the world’s best as well and even came close to winning the Ballon d’Or in 2019, finishing just seven votes behind the winner Lionel Messi.

Arsenal have obviously let a massive one slip through the net but Liverpool will count themselves incredibly lucky to be the ones to eventually catch him, especially as he has altered the trajectory of the club for good.


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