Arne Slot told 'ideal' Virgil van Dijk successor is $58M teammate - 'Liverpool isn't crazy'

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"I think he's the ideal successor to Virgil van Dijk, both in the Dutch national team and at Liverpool," the former Netherlands international told ESPN NL. "He's (Van de Ven) really outperforming them.

But overall, I think he's fantastic." Van Dijk penned a fresh two-year deal with Liverpool back in April before leading the Reds to Premier League glory, though he has faced scrutiny this campaign as Arne Slot's team continues to falter. Yet he acknowledges that following numerous seasons at the pinnacle with Liverpool, Van Dijk could be approaching a period where he begins to decline.

That has an impact, and you can see that with Van Dijk. You might long for a bit of a break." Liverpool.com says: Van de Ven is a really good player, but he isn't anywhere near the same level as Van Dijk.