A big European club is thinking about signing Virgil van Dijk as Liverpool might lose their captain for free.
A big European club is thinking about signing Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk, as talks about the defender leaving next summer are starting to come up. The 35-year-old Dutch player has been amazing at Liverpool since joining in January 2018 from Southampton for £75 million.
Since then, Van Dijk has played in 383 games for Liverpool and scored 36 goals, becoming a key part of the team’s success under Jurgen Klopp. In 2025, he signed a two-year contract extension, but with less than a year left, he could leave Liverpool for free next summer.
During his time at Anfield, Van Dijk has won two Premier League titles, the Champions League, the FA Cup, two League Cups, the UEFA Super Cup, and the FIFA Club World Cup. He’s become one of Liverpool’s modern-day legends.
The Dutchman, who has 100 caps and 14 goals for the Netherlands, signed his latest deal around the same time as teammate Mo Salah. However, Salah left Liverpool early last summer after falling out with manager Arne Slot and is now playing for Trabzonspor in Turkey.
Van Dijk’s current contract ends next June, just before he turns 36. If he doesn’t agree to a new deal, he can start talks with clubs outside England from January and potentially move abroad for free.
One club interested in Van Dijk is Barcelona. According to Catalan news outlet El Nacional, they’re considering him as a partner for their young defender Pau Cubarsi. Cubarsi, a recent La Masia graduate and Spanish World Cup winner, is stepping into the first team, and Van Dijk’s experience could really help him develop.
The report says Van Dijk’s experience, strong aerial skills, and leadership would ease some pressure on Cubarsi, who currently lacks a steady defensive partner. However, any stay at Barcelona would probably be short-term.
One challenge is Van Dijk’s high salary, as he’s one of Liverpool’s top earners. Barcelona might only see him as a one-year fix while they look for a long-term defender to team up with Cubarsi.
The report explains: “Barcelona doesn’t want to build their future around Van Dijk. At 36 next season, any deal would likely be short and depend on his wage demands. His salary is a big hurdle since it’s hard for Barca to match without a big pay cut. Still, from a sporting view, signing him could delay a big transfer spend on another centre-back.”