Virgil van Dijk joining Trent Alexander-Arnold at Real Madrid is now a ‘dead certainty’ as the Liverpool captain ‘says goodbye’.
Liverpool are cruising to the Premier League title, with Arne Slot’s side sitting 12 points clear of second-placed Arsenal with just nine games to play.
But out-of-contract trio Van Dijk, Alexander-Arnold and Mohamed Salah are casting a significant shadow over the campaign, with all three available on a free transfer if new contracts can’t be agreed.
Alexander-Arnold has already agreed to join Real Madrid after the La Liga giants failed in their attempt to sign him in January, while Salah continues to be linked with a move to Saudi Arabia, though will also have plenty of European suitors after his outstanding season for the Reds.
Van Dijk has also been in top form throughout the campaign and having confirmed ahead of the international break that there would be “news” on his future before the end of the season, a report earlier this week claimed he’s now made up his mind to follow Alexander-Arnold out of the club.
The report stated that Van Dijk ‘has decided to end his time’ at Anfield as ‘recent disappointments, such as elimination from the Champions League and defeat in the Carabao Cup final , have led Van Dijk to look to new horizons’.
Van Dijk ‘feels it’s time for a change’ after ‘the lack of recent success has affected his motivation’ and a European giant ‘has already begun negotiations’ over a transfer.
The report added:
‘The most talked-about destination in recent days is Paris Saint-Germain . The French giant, always on the lookout for quality reinforcements for its defense, has seen Van Dijk as a unique opportunity to sign him as a free agent.
‘Despite the competition for his signature, PSG is very interested in bringing the defender to the Parc des Princes, where he would be part of a high-level project.
‘With the possibility of a free transfer, the market for Van Dijk has skyrocketed, and several European clubs are in the running for his signature. However, PSG appears to have the upper hand, given their interest and the importance he has gained in recent days.’
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But former Manchester United and Blackburn chief scout Mick Brown, who remains well-connected in the game, claims Van Dijk moving to Real Madrid is a “dead certainty” while assessing Los Blancos’ interest in Bournemouth’s Dean Huijsen.
“I like him, I think he can become a top-class player”, Brown told Football Insider when asked about Huijsen.
“He covers the ground like a gazelle, he’s light on his feet. He’s resilient, he can use the ball well – I think he’s got all the ingredients of being a top-class player.
“Where do [Real Madrid] go and replenish their centre-half positions? One dead certainty is Virgil van Dijk as I’ve said many times. I never see it mentioned, but I would be surprised if that hasn’t happened.
“[Huijsen] is a young centre-half they could take, and make into the type of player they want, but they’re going to need a centre-half at the start of next season.
“Van Dijk is a ready-made choice, if that was their choice. This lad [Huijsen] is one of those that you’d take, and you’d say; ‘I’m backing him to move up the ladder’.”
