Virgil van Dijk &#8211; CaughtOffside

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There has been no progress on contract talks with Liverpool and as it stands, he is looking likely to leave Liverpool sooner or later.

It would be a huge blow to Slot if his compatriot leaves Liverpool for a move to the Saudi Pro League.

Three Liverpool stars face uncertain future

Along with van Dijk, the other two most important players; Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold, have also entered the final year of their contract at Anfield.

With the club not closer to new signings and talks of their key player leaving, the Liverpool faithful would be worried about their team’s plans in the transfer window.

The Premier League season starts in less than a month and the Reds are not closer to any new signing.

Having lost Joel Matip and Thiago Alcantara, a defender and a midfielder is expected to be signed.

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Exclusive: Liverpool identify £58.9m summer target to mitigate for potential Van Dijk exit

Farrell Keeling — Sun, 21 Jul 2024 09:16:57 +0000

Liverpool won’t be looking to overhaul the playing squad this summer, despite falling short of a title challenge in 2023/24.

That said, sources close to the club have made clear that Arne Slot has asked for targeted signings to strengthen a collective he already believes is very competitive.

With this in mind, the Eredivisie-winning head coach would like to see a new centre-back added to the ranks.

Sporting Lisbon’s Goncalo Inacio is said to remain the prominent profile on the club’s shortlist, even if things are moving slowly for the Portuguese international. That’s also without considering the high competition for the player’s signature this summer.

Where else are the Reds looking at?

Bremer in action for Juventus – (Photo by Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images)

Sources close to CaughtOffside have noted that the Merseysiders requested information on the costs and conditions of a potential deal around Gleison Bremer. Juventus could let the defender go for €70m [£58.9m]. The Brazilian has been included on the shortlist in light of any potential exit on Virgil van Dijk’s part amid a strong Saudi push for his services.

Teun Koopmeiners remains an interesting quantity in the middle of the park, though Atalanta’s price-tag of €60m [£50.5m] is deemed too high. This is why alternative profiles, like Quinten Timber (appreciated by Slot) are being considered as concrete options.

It remains to be seen whether Liverpool will bolster their forward line. There was a slight interest shown in Federico Chiesa in one recent meeting with his agent, Fali Ramadani. However, the player’s request of €8m-a-year [£6.7m] is considered untenable for the club.

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Liverpool set £46.3 million asking price for key first-team star amid exit links

Saikat Chatterjee — Sun, 21 Jul 2024 07:23:26 +0000

Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk has been linked with a move away from the club this summer.

Saudi Arabian clubs are keen on signing the Dutch international defender this summer and the 33-year-old is reportedly open to the move.

According to a report from TEAMtalk, the defender is ready to explore the possibility of joining the Saudi Pro League and he has already given his approval for his suitors to open talks with Liverpool.

The report further states that Liverpool are demanding a fee of around £46.3 million to sell the 33-year-old central defender. It remains to be seen whether the Saudi Arabian club is prepared to pay up for him. Van Dijk is one of the best defenders in the Premier League and he could prove to be a quality acquisition.

However, the defender’s contract with Liverpool ends next summer and PIF are hoping to sign him for a more reasonable price. They are ready to walk away from the deal if Liverpool do not lower their demands.

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LONDON, ENGLAND – APRIL 21: Virgil van Dijk of Liverpool applauds the fans after the team’s victory in the Premier League match between Fulham FC and Liverpool FC at Craven Cottage on April 21, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

Liverpool must hold on to Virgil van Dijk

Van Dijk is an indispensable asset for Liverpool and he has been an exceptional servant for them since joining the club from Southampton. He has helped them win every major trophy at club level and the Reds will not want to sanction his departure any time soon.

The 33-year-old is also the club captain and they will want to hold onto him for the near future. It remains to be seen whether Liverpool can convince the defender to stay at Anfield and sign a new contract with them.

The Reds will not want to lose them on a free transfer next summer. If they fail to secure an agreement with the player over a new deal, Liverpool could be under pressure to sell him this summer.

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Ugarte agrees terms with Man Utd, Rabiot wants EPL move and more

Fabrizio Romano — Fri, 19 Jul 2024 18:00:00 +0000

This article was originally published on Fabrizio Romano’s Daily Briefing, a subscription service. If you would like to receive Fabrizio Romano’s exclusive articles via email ahead of publication on caughtoffside.com, please sign-up for the service here: thedailybriefing.io

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Man United agree terms with Ugarte, one more defender wanted

Manuel Ugarte

Man United have an agreement with Manuel Ugarte on personal terms, he wants the move. Now it depends on Man United and PSG to agree on the fee, while Casemiro or McTominay could leave the club with a good proposal.

What does it mean guys? It means that Manchester United after the centre-back, Leny Yoro, after the striker, Joshua Zirkzee, are also ready to work on the midfield.

The exit of Casemiro remains an important part of the story, but honestly guys, I can’t confirm anything regarding rumours that United are having trouble selling him, which could cause problems on Ugarte and so on, no.

Interest from Saudi in Casemiro remains but sometimes it just takes time to agree on contract, transfer fee and more.

United already have the green light for Manuel Ugarte as a potential new midfielder, the contract has been discussed and – this is an important detail – with the same agent who takes care of Leny Yoro, Jorge Mendes.

Jorge Mendes is still a very big name, obviously, in the market, and Manchester United also have a very good relationship with Paris Saint-Germain – another important point.

If PSG receive the right proposal this is a story that could be a concrete one in the next days, in the next few weeks.

Man United also won the race for Leny Yoro, one of the most talented defenders in the world, but it’s not over yet as United are working on the possibility to bring in another centre-back.

It will take probably some days to understand what’s going to happen with the outgoings and with the entire domino of the market for Manchester United, but keep an eye on that position because United could do something else.

They are in contact with Bayern for Matthijs de Ligt but they never agreed on the fee, they were in conversation. Jarrad Branthwaite is another player they appreciate but at the moment he’s considered too expensive.

Vitor Roque off to USA, Raphinha goes public and an important Nico Williams update

Vitor Roque and Raphinha

The current situation with Vitor Roque is that he’s expected to travel on FC Barcelona’s pre-season tour of the USA, then we will see what happens.

There are no talks ongoing now but we have to see what happens with Vitor based on Financial Fair Play too, it’s an open situation. This pre-season could be important for him, for sure.

Sticking with Barça, despite the rumours, I have zero information on contacts between Premier League clubs and Raphinha at the moment guys.

Also the player has gone public this week to confirm his plan to stay at Barça, so really quiet around Raphinha at the moment.

I’ve also had many questions on the situation of Nico Williams guys.

Barcelona’s sporting director, Deco, had a meeting with the agent of the player in Zaragoza, and they’re trying to be fast on agreeing personal terms with Nico Williams, because they believe that reaching an agreement with Nico on the project, on the salary, on the contract is important.

Barça know that Premier League clubs are coming. Barça know that big Premier League clubs are already trying to understand what’s going to happen and, maybe, they hope in England that things could collapse for Barcelona because of Financial Fair Play, so that they can enter the race.

We know about the interest of Chelsea and Arsenal who are keeping a close eye to the situation. He’s still very expensive for both clubs because the clause has to be paid in one solution; big commission, big salary.

This is why, for example, one month ago, Chelsea decided to go slower on the story of Nico Williams, but in case Barcelona don’t close the deal, Chelsea and Arsenal are attentive to the situation.

Adrien Rabiot wants Premier League move, many clubs interested

Adrien Rabiot

Since June, Rabiot was expected to leave Juventus and it’s now been confirmed.

Juventus offered €7m net per season for Rabiot but he didn’t want to accept, he wanted to try something different. So Rabiot communicated to Juventus that he was not going to stay, and Juve already decided to move on.

He has several possibilities around Europe and his mother Veronique spoke to 5/6 clubs in recent weeks, in several countries, and they’re keeping all the options open.

I don’t want to mention all the clubs because it’s a really long list and some of them are not even concrete at the moment… it’s just talks.

For sure, the dream of Adrien Rabiot is Premier League football, so that remains a possibility – to wait for a Premier League opportunity. Otherwise he has many offers, many opportunities on the table.

Adrien Rabiot is a free agent and so is obviously a big possibility, a big opportunity and this is why many clubs are enquiring about the situation.

But what I can guarantee to you today is that Adrien Rabiot is tempted by the Premier League. His dream is the Premier League. He believes that his skills are perfect for Premier League football.

He’s a wonderful midfielder but also physical and that could be a crucial factor, so let’s see if he gets the proposal he wants.

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West Ham chasing Reiss Nelson but not “close” yet

West Ham have been busy in the current transfer window and are still working as usual on several deals, including for a new striker and one more centre back.

It’s not “close” yet but for sure Reiss Nelson is expected to leave Arsenal this summer and he’s one of the names on West Ham’s list. They like him, but nothing is imminent yet as still at initial stages.

No change on Virgil van Dijk’s situation

Lots of rumours surrounding Liverpool captain, Virgil van Dijk, but as we already mentioned here the day after his recent statement guys, so far the situation is quiet.

Liverpool have not received any proposal, Virgil is on holiday, so again it’s quiet around van Dijk and Liverpool are waiting for him to come back from his holidays.

The post Ugarte agrees terms with Man Utd, Rabiot wants EPL move and more appeared first on CaughtOffside.

“Liverpool are waiting for him” – Fabrizio Romano delivers update on world class centre-back

Jason Pettigrove — Fri, 19 Jul 2024 08:30:00 +0000

Pre-season is already well underway for most clubs, with Liverpool’s players getting to grips with life under new manager, Arne Slot.

The 45-year-old Dutchman has it all to do in terms of convincing his playing staff that he’s the right man for the job, after nine years of them working under Jurgen Klopp.

Liverpool waiting for world class centre-back

The German certainly left an indelible mark at Anfield, and Slot is bound to feel the weight of that as his more senior players return from international duty.

Things won’t be the same at the club now or ever, and if the Reds want to be successful then Slot is going to need immediate buy in from everyone.

He comes highly recommended thanks to the work he did in the Eredivisie with Feyernood, but with respect, the Premier League is a level above the Dutch top-flight.

New Liverpool manager, Arne Slot, will soon get to work with countryman, Virgil van Dijk

The move also represents the first time Slot has taken a job professionally outside of the Netherlands.

It’s key that club captain, and fellow Dutchman, Virgil van Dijk, provides the link between manager and first-team, with the club eager to see him return.

“Lots of rumours surrounding Liverpool captain, Virgil van Dijk, but as we already mentioned here the day after his recent statement guys, so far the situation is quiet,” Fabrizio Romano said in his exclusive Daily Briefing for CaughtOffside.

“Liverpool have not received any proposal, Virgil is on holiday, so again it’s quiet around van Dijk and Liverpool are waiting for him to come back from his holidays.”

With the new Premier League season only four weeks away, Slot will surely hope that van Dijk can hit the ground running in training and pre-season as soon as he’s back from a well deserved rest.

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Exclusive: Liverpool making progress on potential €60m transfer to replace Virgil van Dijk

Mark Brus — Sun, 14 Jul 2024 09:44:09 +0000

Liverpool are understood to be making progress in negotiations over a potential transfer move for Sporting Lisbon centre-back Goncalo Inacio as they look for a replacement for Virgil van Dijk.

Sources close to the situation have informed CaughtOffside that there is some uncertainty around Van Dijk’s future at Liverpool, and the Reds have made a new central defender one of their top priorities this summer, though the Reds are also in the market for a new midfielder.

Inacio is currently the priority for Liverpool, and though he has a €60m release clause at Sporting, CaughtOffside understands that there is the growing feeling that the Portuguese giants could compromise on that fee.

The Portugal international looks a fine talent and he’s also long been on the radar of other top clubs such as Manchester United and Arsenal, though LFC are now the clear favourites for the 22-year-old.

Inacio transfer: Liverpool also looking at other defensive options

Goncalo Inacio to Liverpool?

Inacio is not the only name on Liverpool’s list, however, with the Merseyside giants also ready to explore the possibility of alternatives in case that deal doesn’t work out.

Liverpool also like Nice defender Jean-Clair Todibo, Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi, and Willian Pacho of Eintracht Frankfurt.

It remains to be seen which name will end up being the most realistic one for Liverpool, but for now it seems Inacio is the focus, and things seem to be moving in the right direction on that deal.

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In midfield, Liverpool’s new manager Arne Slot is an admirer of Quinten Timber from his former club Feyenoord, while it’s also felt that Atalanta’s Teun Koopmeiners could also still be one to watch for the Premier League side, even if Juventus have long looked the favourites for the Netherlands international.

Youssouf Fofana had also been on Liverpool’s radar, but things never advanced and he’s now on his way to AC Milan.

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Exclusive: Guehi stays calm, nothing new for van Dijk, Olmo clause extended and more

Fabrizio Romano — Fri, 12 Jul 2024 18:00:00 +0000

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Calm situation for sought-after Marc Guehi

Marc Guehi has been excellent for England during the Euros and many clubs have been scouting him this season, but at the moment nothing is concrete yet.

For example, around March Liverpool asked about his situation but didn’t follow up with proposals or negotiations.

I can guarantee that as of today, it remains a calm situation to be discussed later in the window.

Nothing decided yet for Virgil van Dijk

Virgil van Dijk is going to enjoy some down time before making a decision on his career

There’s nothing at all in Virgil van Dijk’s answer on his future, he was just being honest in a post-match interview after an intense game by saying that he will discuss his future after the holidays.

He has not discussed or decided anything now, he was only focused on the Euros, and this is the situation as of today.

Conversations ongoing for Dani Olmo

Dani Olmo’s future could be decided next week

Dani Olmo’s release clause is now valid until July 20.

I’m not aware of contacts with Chelsea at the moment despite links, but let’s see with other clubs.

His agents are having conversations but there’s still nothing close or imminent as of now… and nothing before next week.

Olmo has no preference, just waiting to see which proposals will arrive.

Cucurella is happy at Chelsea… but will consider his options

I don’t think that it was a big statement that Marc Cucurella’s agent made recently, he simply confirmed that Cucurella wants to stay at Chelsea and he’s happy at the club.

But, in case the club decide to sell him, Cucurella would consider his options.

It’s really quiet now, there are no talks, though clubs appeared at the end of the summer one year ago for example.

Chelsea are happy with Cucurella but with big proposals, everything could be open for Cucurella or… Ben Chilwell.

Thiago’s return to Barcelona will be clarified shortly

Hansi Flick wants Thiago as a member of his staff at Barcelona

I can confirm that there are discussions between Thiago Alcântara and Hansi Flick personally over Thiago’s potential appointment to help Flick at Barcelona as part of his staff.

Those discussions are still ongoing,

Thiago is tempted and Flick really considers him as a fantastic factor to help. Final outcome will be clear soon.

Juve want Todibo but it’s not going to be easy

It’s true that Jean-Clair Todibo is interested in the Juventus project yes, but OGC Nice want around €45m and Juve have only discussed a loan with buy clause.

That’s not something easy for Nice to accept at this stage.

Nice rejected €35m from West Ham, but for Juventus to sign him it will also depend on outgoings like Hujisen, who could leave the club.

Zirkzee ‘Here we go’ to Man United, de Ligt soon

Joshua Zirkzee will put pen to paper on a deal with Man United soon

Joshua Zirkzee from Bologna to Manchester United is a ‘here we go!’

An important and exclusive detail on this story is that my understanding is that Manchester United won’t pay the release clause for Joshua Zirkzee.

So what’s the agreement? Instead of paying €40m to Bologna in one solution, Manchester United have agreed on paying slightly above the release clause, but with better payment terms.

The fee will be paid over three years and the player has already agreed a five-year deal, with the option for another season.

It’s the first signing of the summer for Manchester United, and the first signing of the new era with INEOS.

Medical tests are expected before the holidays and then the deal will be officially done.

A really important update on a really important story, guys.

It’s also important to tell you something else on Manchester United. They are advancing in negotiations with Bayern for Matthijs de Ligt.

The expectation from Manchester United after Joshua Zirkzee is to get the Matthijs de Ligt deal done. The player has told his agent, Rafaela Pimenta, he only wanted to negotiate with Manchester United, so no negotiations ongoing with any other club.

The contract is already agreed until 2029, and the salary is ready, but the club to club agreement is still needed.

Marseille working hard to land Mason Greenwood

Olympique Marseille are insisting on making the Mason Greenwood deal happen. Lazio are waiting to see what happens and of course, if the deal collapses with Marseille, Lazio will still be there.

But Marseille remain confident. They have an agreement with Manchester United, €30m with add-ons included, and they are working to reach an agreement with the player.

So, despite the comments in the recent days about Mason Greenwood, the point remains very clear. Marseille want to sign the player on a permanent deal.

The post Exclusive: Guehi stays calm, nothing new for van Dijk, Olmo clause extended and more appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Fabrizio Romano offers Virgil van Dijk update after Dutchman’s cryptic interview

Jason Pettigrove — Fri, 12 Jul 2024 06:20:03 +0000

Netherlands and Liverpool captain, Virgil van Dijk, appeared to stir the pot in a post-match interview after the Dutch side lost out to England in the European Championship semi-final.

The Reds powerhouse was asked directly about his future and what happens next, and he simply intimated that he would be thinking carefully about that this summer.

How to buy tickets for England vs Spain

Hardly the vote of confidence that new man in charge at Anfield, Arne Slot, was perhaps hoping for, and certainly not an unequivocal statement of intent.

Indeed, the wishy-washy nature of his statement could be interpreted in many ways, and it wouldn’t be a surprise for Liverpool fans to read between the lines and begin to believe that the 33-year-old sees his immediate future away from Merseyside.

Virgil Van Dijk is entering his contract’s final year at Liverpool.

They need not worry though, according to Fabrizio Romano.

“There’s nothing at all in Virgil van Dijk’s answer on his future, he was just being honest in a post-match interview after an intense game by saying that he will discuss his future after holidays,” he said to CaughtOffside for his exclusive Daily Briefing.

“He has not discussed or decided anything now, he was only focused on the Euros, and this is the situation as of today.”

That will come as some sort of relief to the Anfield faithful. Although Mo Salah has generally been the headline grabber for the club over the past few seasons, Liverpool owe a huge debt of gratitude to van Dijk.

The Dutchman has been rock solid at the back and just as integral to Jurgen Klopp as Salah was.

If the club were to lose him at any point soon, Arne Slot would have a massive hole to fill, and it would put his project on the back foot immediately.

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Liverpool star throws club and international future into doubt

Andrew Walker — Thu, 11 Jul 2024 11:44:29 +0000

Virgil Van Dijk has admitted he will spend the summer working out his club, and international, future.

The Reds’ talismanic captain has endured a tough summer.

Representing the Netherlands in the EUROs, Van Dijk, 33, suffered semi-final heartbreak after England’s Ollie Watkins scored a 90-minute winner on Wednesday night to send the Oranje crashing out and set up a blockbuster final against Spain on Sunday in Berlin.

Virgil Van Dijk speaks about Liverpool future

Consequently, now preparing for a short break before returning to club duties, the 33-year-old, clearly still hurting from Wednesday night’s disappointment, has hinted his long-term future may lie away from Anfield and the international stage.

“I will think carefully this summer about what I want at club level and as an international player,” the centre-back said, as quoted by Ben Jacobs.

Could Virgil van Dijk retire from international duty before the start of the season?

“Then we’ll go for it again, but first I want to recover.

“After a season like this, where all kinds of things have happened, it is emotional at the end because you know it’s over.”

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Speculation over Van Dijk’s future is set to go into overdrive following his recent comments. As the Dutchman enters the final 12 months of his contract, there have already been reports new Liverpool manager Arne Slot is sweating on the defender’s availability beyond next season (Team Talk).

During his six years at Anfield, Van Dijk, who has lifted seven major trophies, including the 2018-19 Champions League and 2019-20 Premier League, has scored 23 goals and registered 12 assists in 270 games in all competitions.

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“Says it all…” – Virgil van Dijk noticed referee clearly realised his mistake in England win vs Netherlands

Mark Brus — Wed, 10 Jul 2024 21:54:32 +0000

Netherlands defender Virgil van Dijk was clearly not happy with the controversial refereeing that saw England awarded a penalty in Wednesday night’s Euro 2024 semi-final.

Van Dijk spoke after the game and did not look at all happy after what will have been a heart-breaking defeat for his country as Ollie Watkins scored a late goal to book a place up against Spain in this Sunday’s final.

Watch below as Van Dijk is asked about England’s penalty in the first half, which came after the referee initially waved it away but then checked VAR and changed his mind, giving Harry Kane the chance to equalise from the spot…

"It says it all that the ref went in quite quickly after the game and had no time to shake his hand."

A visibly emotional Virgil Van Dijk talks to @CarrrieBrownTV after the controversial penalty decision!#EURO2024 | #beINEURO | #HomeofEuro | #LFC pic.twitter.com/ly25fFLVQD

— beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS_EN) July 10, 2024

Van Dijk feels the referee knew he’d got it wrong as he made his way off the pitch quickly at the end, meaning the Netherlands players didn’t get the chance to speak to him.

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