Virgil van Dijk could make a decision to leave Liverpool this summer.
The Netherlands finished the tournament with a 1-2 defeat to England in the Euro 2024 semi-final at Zignal Iduna Park in Dortmund, Germany, at 4 a.m. on the 11th (Korea time).
After the tournament Van Dyke was asked about the future. Van Dijk said, `I have no idea nowWhile avoiding an immediate answer, "I'll think carefully about what I want at the club level this summer and as a national team player."," he said, leaving a statement that he would think about his future.
Van Dyke was born in 1991 and is 33. He is still showing his best skills, but it is not strange to announce his retirement from the national team. This is because there is no guarantee that Van Dijk will play the main role in the Netherlands at the 2026 FIFA North-China World Cup, a major tournament in two years. The future of the national team is a matter that is directly related to the life of the player, so it is a topic to consider.
However, considering the future in Liverpool was an unexpected answer from fans. Van Dijk is an absolute presence in Liverpool as well as in the Netherlands. Van Dijk, who joined Liverpool through the 2018 winter transfer window, was the last piece of the Jurgen Klopp era.
After Van Dijk, Liverpool's defensive problems came close to perfection. Thanks to this, Liverpool won the European Champions League (UCL) in the 2018-2019 season and won the English Premier League (EPL) in the 2019-2020 season. Since then, he has been a leading player in Liverpool's heyday.
Van Dijk's heyday was perfect, as he aimed for the defender Ballon d'Or for the first time since Fabio Cannavar at the 2019 Ballon d'Or Awards. He was a flawless defender. Even after suffering a serious injury such as a cruciate ligament rupture in the 2020-2021 season, Van Dijk boasted the highest level of defense. Liverpool's defense without Van Dijk is not easy to imagine. Van Dijk is Liverpool's captain and an irreplaceable player on and off the field.
With Klopp's departure, Van Dijk also seems to have been agonizing over his future. Van Dijk's contract with Liverpool expires after the 2024-2025 season. There are no signs of leaving Liverpool immediately, but it is important what Van Dijk will conclude after the break.
Recently, in the last years of his career, he often moves on to Saudi Arabia or the U.S. league to finish his career. Van Dyck is also in his mid-30s, so he can't help but think about his future.
Liverpool will have to invest a huge transfer fee in signing the centre-back if Van Dijk decides to leave.
rlaeotlr2024@sportschosun.com
