Virgil van Dijk to leave Liverpool

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Image Credits: Imago ImagesVirgil Van Dijk has been one of the few constants in what has been a deeply inconsistent Liverpool season.The Dutchman has started all 29 of his Premier League appearances this campaign, completing the full 90 minutes in every one, and has also featured in 11 Champions League matches.His defensive numbers remain elite — he leads the Premier League in clearances with 233, aerial duels won with 147, and completed passes into the final third with 276. At 34, the physical decline many predicted has not materialised in any meaningful way, and therein lies the complication for Liverpool.He arrived at Anfield in January 2018 for a then-world-record fee for a defender of £75 million and went on to reshape the club entirely, forming the defensive spine that underpinned a Champions League, a Premier League, an FA Cup and two League Cups.His influence on Liverpool’s identity is almost impossible to overstate.

That deal now has one year left to run.The expectation, per The Athletic’s James Pearce, is that this summer will mark the beginning of the end. With the club planning for the future and bringing in younger defensive options in the transfer market, van Dijk’s farewell looks increasingly likely to come at the end of the 2026/27 campaign — his ninth full season as a Red.“If Konate stays, then the squad will be well stocked at centre-back.

Captain Virgil van Dijk has one more year on his contract before his expected farewell, while Liverpool have Leoni coming back from injury and Jacquet joining from Rennes.”“If Konate departs, there will be a gap that has to be filled. He’s out of contract in 2027, and this summer will effectively be the last chance to get a fee for him.”It remains to be seen what the club decides, but he will be 35 when his deal expires.