Virgil van Dijk could be heading for a surprising transfer only days after the World Cup ended.
Virgil van Dijk might be leaving Liverpool this summer in a surprising move, as a big European club has made him their top target. The Premier League transfer window has already seen some huge signings. Tottenham Hotspur is leading the way, bringing in six new players in just two weeks and spending a total of £237 million on stars like Matheus Fernandes, Jan Paul van Hecke, and Sandro Tonali.
Liverpool have been busy too, landing a surprise signing with Spain’s Víctor Muñoz after paying his €40m (£34.6m) release clause from Osasuna. The Reds are expected to keep working hard this summer, especially looking for a new winger to replace Mohamed Salah.
But the next big Liverpool move might not be about bringing someone in. Italian news outlet Gazzetta reports that Serie A giant AC Milan has set their sights on Liverpool captain Van Dijk. After signing former PSG striker Gonçalo Ramos, Milan’s owners, led by Gerry Cardinale and adviser Zlatan Ibrahimović, are now focusing on strengthening their defense. Ibrahimović has personally asked the club to go after Van Dijk.
Van Dijk, who just experienced the heartbreak of a World Cup exit with the Netherlands, has one year left on his Liverpool contract, which he renewed last April. The report says that Ibrahimović’s interest has reached Cardinale, who is now looking into making a formal offer.
Van Dijk’s price is estimated at about £12.8 million according to transfermarkt, but the bigger questions are whether Van Dijk wants to move and if Milan can meet his salary demands. At 34, he would probably be one of the highest-paid players at Milan. Plus, with Ibrahima Konaté moving to Real Madrid, it seems unlikely Liverpool would want to part with their captain.
Because of this, Milan is also considering younger, more affordable defenders, like Gonçalo Inácio. The 25-year-old impressed new Milan manager Ruben Amorim back when he was at Sporting CP. Inácio might cost between £25 million and £34 million but would require a much lower salary. Interestingly, Inácio has been linked with Liverpool several times before, but a move never happened. Last season, he played 46 games for Sporting and kept 19 clean sheets. He is currently representing Portugal in the World Cup.