Virgil van Dijk signed a new contract with Liverpool last summer and made it clear he wanted the club to make a statement in the transfer market
Liverpool players on the pitch after their Premier League draw with Burnley(Image: PA)
When Liverpool clinched the Premier League title last season, the final stages of their triumph came against the backdrop of uncertainty surrounding three pivotal players. Two of the three stayed, with captain Virgil van Dijk and leading goalscorer Mohamed Salah signing contract extensions, though Trent Alexander-Arnold ultimately departed for Real Madrid.
Van Dijk’s contract extension came with a clear message, though. The Netherlands centre-back urged Liverpool to make significant moves in the transfer market following a quiet first summer under Arne Slot.
“Whatever happens in terms of players going out, players coming in, I think it should be a big summer,” Van Dijk said in April, the same month in which his renewal was announced. “I think they’re planning to make it a big summer, so we all have to trust the board, as a Liverpool-connected fan, to do the right job. I think Liverpool should be able to challenge for titles in the upcoming years.”
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He continued: “I think we 100% can improve. If you take it all the way back to the (previous) summer, I didn’t have a proper pre-season (after playing at Euro 2024). I think I came in on the Monday before we played Sevilla (in August).
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“I played 90 minutes straight away, then the following week it was Ipswich and then you’re just back into it. You don’t have time to work on what the manager really wants in terms of a training camp.
“This year, there is a training camp and there is time for the team to work on what the manager wants and I think that will then improve the team. There are still so many things to improve, but we shouldn’t forget the quality that the Premier League possesses because we see it.”
Van Dijk’s desire for investment was certainly realised. Liverpool outspent all other Premier League clubs during the summer, shattering the league’s transfer record not once but twice with nine-figure moves for Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak.
Liverpool’s total expenditure exceeded £400million, with Hugo Ekitike, Milos Kerkez, Jeremie Frimpong, Giovanni Leoni, and Giorgi Mamardashvili – whose move from Valencia was announced a year earlier – all joining the Reds. However, their title defence has not gone as planned.
There have been additional elements in play which can’t be overlooked. The sale of Luis Diaz to Bayern Munich and the tragic passing of Diogo Jota have deprived the club of two potent attacking threats from the previous season, not to mention the emotional toll on the players due to the loss of Jota and his brother Andre Silva in July.
Liverpool have also had to contend with on-field setbacks due to injuries. Isak has endured multiple stints on the sidelines after a slow start due to an inadequate pre-season, while Leoni sustained a season-ending injury on his debut and Conor Bradley is now sidelined for several months with a knee injury.
Inevitably, there will be questions about why some new signings have not settled in as quickly as hoped. Ekitike has been the only immediate success, although Wirtz has shown improvement as the season has progressed and Frimpong can attribute some of his struggles to injury-related interruptions.
In addition, Caoimhin Kelleher’s commendable performance since his move to Brentford will undoubtedly be mentioned by some. The Irishman’s departure appeared inevitable following Mamardashvili’s arrival and there have been doubts about whether Liverpool should have allowed the Georgian to stay in Spain while paving a clear path for Kelleher to eventually succeed Alisson as the first choice.
It’s also important to recall the wider perspective presented by Van Dijk. He didn’t merely want Liverpool to bolster their ranks immediately – he wanted them to vie for more titles in the years ahead.
Last season’s league victory was made easier by the likes of Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister stepping up in their second season at Anfield, while the attacking trio of Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino had already been at the club for some time when Liverpool ended a lengthy league title drought in 2020.
This season may have been challenging, but there’s still an opportunity for the immediate difficulties to be forgotten if the end result is a long-term benefit – something the club have already seen happen before.
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