Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk was reportedly waiting for Real Madrid to make contact before he signed his contract extension at Anfield. The explosive claim has been made just hours before the two clubs lock horns in the Champions League, and rumours suggest that after no interest from Los Blancos was forthcoming, the Dutchman succumbed to the Reds offer.
Van Dijk was at the centre of a season-long standoff regarding his future at Anfield as he, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Mohamed Salah were out of contract at the end of the campaign. Ultimately, Salah and the defender remained on Merseyside, penning new deals, while the England full-back opted to leave the club, joining Tuesday night’s opponents, Real Madrid.
Alexander-Arnold is set to return to face his former club in the latest round of Champions League fixtures, and according to AS, it might have been a different story. The outlet claims that Van Dijk was holding out for dialogue with the Spanish giants, and his agents contacted the club over a move.
However, when one didn’t materialise, he penned a new deal with Liverpool.
It wasn’t until April that it was announced that the Liverpool captain had extended his contract beyond their Premier League-winning season.
But after their 2-0 win over Real Madrid in the competition’s League Phase less than 12 months ago, Van Dijk was asked about whether he would make the move to Spain.
However, when one didn’t materialise, he penned a new deal with Liverpool.
It wasn’t until April that it was announced that the Liverpool captain had extended his contract beyond their Premier League-winning season.
But after their 2-0 win over Real Madrid in the competition’s League Phase less than 12 months ago, Van Dijk was asked about whether he would make the move to Spain.
“What a direct question from you! They don’t ask me that directly [in England],” he said.
“But listen, there is, at the moment, nothing I can say. The only thing that I can say is I’m fully focused on Man City from now on.
“Do they? I don’t know.” When pushed again, he added: “But [Antonio] Rudiger is there, no?”
Liverpool are looking to make it two wins in their last two Champions League matches but a win over Xabi Alonso’s side on Tuesday night would further boost morale after their 2-0 win over Aston Villa on Saturday.
The triumph ended their losing run in the Premier League and speaking ahead of the showdown with the record Champions League holders, Van Dijk said that these types of occasions are ones you ‘live for’ as a player.
“Saturday was a step in the right direction, for sure, but now we need to follow that up with another big performance in a big game,” he said in his programme notes.
“And games don’t come much bigger than Real Madrid at Anfield in the Champions League.
“It goes without saying that we are all really looking forward to the challenge, and I am sure you guys are as well. These are the nights you live for as a player.
“We know what to expect, of course, and they will too. This time last year, we produced one of our best performances of the whole season to beat them 2-0, and deservedly so. We were excellent that night, producing a real team display.
“That, I remember, was also one of the best atmospheres of the whole season, and we will need more of the same this evening. We need noise, we need passion and we need your support from the first whistle to the last.”