Various reports earlier this week linked Serie A giants Juventus with a world record bid for Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk. Eurosport cited a rumour that the Italian champions were ready to offer a whopping £150m for the Dutch centre-back.
That would see the Premier League leaders double their profit after paying £75m for the Dutchman in 2018. That’s a huge sum for any player not to talk of a defender. But in all honesty, the truth is that the Reds can’t afford to sell Van Dijk at any price.
The Dutchman is a cornerstone of this current Liverpool side. One that won the Champions League last term and that are currently running away with this season’s Premier League title.
They currently boast a twenty-two point lead over nearest rivals Manchester City and many in the City camp including Guardiola have conceded that the league belongs to Liverpool already.
In fact, leading online bookmaker buaksib.com are putting good odds on Jurgen Klopp’s men winning the title way before May.
Now there are several men that can be seen as top-class at Anfield. You’ve got three great forwards in Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino.
In goal, Alisson is a fantastic goalkeeper. In Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold Liverpool possess players that can provide as well as provide scoring opportunities.
But if you take any of those out of the team, it’s safe to imagine that Liverpool could survive without too much fuss (especially in the short term). However, the same cannot be said with Van Dijk out the team.
The Reds defence always look a bit vulnerable and lacked concentration before the arrival of Virgil.
Yet they looked almost invincible since he stepped through the doors at Anfield.
Dejan Lovren, Joel Matip and Joe Gomez have all looked far superiors defenders when they’ve been placed alongside Van Dijk in the heart of Liverpool’s defence.
When you look at their unbeaten run in the league this season, you’ll notice The Reds of Merseyside have built their success on the back of having the top flight’s best backline. Virgil van Dijk is the key to all that happening.
After Jurgen Klopp, Virgil van Dijk is probably the most important person at Anfield at this minute. The German coach knows exactly Virgil’s worth. He usually plays down Van Dijk’s accomplishments and makes it more about the team.
But Jurgen stated in November that the Dutch internationalist deserved the Ballon d’Or:
“But if you give it to the best player of last season, then it was Virgil van Dijk. I don’t know exactly how it will work but that is how I see it.”
Van Dijk is header and shoulders the best centre-half in the Premier League. He’s probably the best defender in the world currently. He’s smart, fast and great in the air. Van Dijk is a wonderful all-round defender that scores headers occasionally too.
It has taken Liverpool so long to get to this stage and it would be extremely foolish for them to even consider selling Virgil van Dijk. Jurgen Klopp shouldn’t and wouldn’t sanction the sale obviously because he knows he has a gem in the Dutch centre-back.
