Virgil van Dijk &#8211; CaughtOffside

Chelsea in shock talks for former player to return after collapse of £34.5m transfer

Chelsea’s €40m transfer falls through after major problem finalising contract

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“That is the main thing I am focusing on, having the trust and we will see what happens. I think they are working very hard behind the scenes, we will see how that pans out.”

Liverpool kick off the new season away at newly promoted Ipswich on August 17th in what will be Arne Slot’s first competitive game in charge.

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Transfer news: ‘Here we go’ for Man Utd deals, two Chelsea signings imminent, Liverpool update & more

Fabrizio Romano — Sun, 11 Aug 2024 15:45:00 +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 transfer news via email ahead of publication on caughtoffside.com, please sign-up for the service here: thedailybriefing.io

‘Here we go’ x3 for Manchester United, plus update on midfielder search

Aaron Wan-Bissaka to West Ham is a ‘here we go’ and it’s a crucial story because, as I reported previously, Manchester United were waiting for Wan-Bissaka to leave in order to be able to bring in a new right-back and also a new centre-back.

Now it’s happening, with Wan-Bissaka joining West Ham in a permanent transfer, and it’s an important sale as United could have lost him on a free when his contract would have expired next summer. Inter were also interested in the 26-year-old, though it would have been in a year’s time as a free agent, not in a swap deal this summer. Still, Wan-Bissaka decided to accept the offer from West Ham for a five-year contract, and he’ll have his medical tests with the Hammers this morning.

So, everything is done for Wan-Bissaka to move from Man United to West Ham for £15m – this is the value of the deal, and West Ham are truly on fire at the moment with a big summer that has seen them appoint Julen Lopetegui as their new manager whilst also completing deals like Wan-Bissaka, and also Jean-Clair Todibo, Max Kilman, Guido Rodriguez, Crysencio Summerville and others.

As I previously reported, United want to attack the market and now we can say that it’s ‘here we go’ for Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui to move to Old Trafford. The deal is done with Bayern, and we have to congratulate United because the deal has been completed as they wanted – the timing was longer than expected, but it was worth it for United.

It was not always easy negotiating with Bayern, who for months insisted on guaranteed money, not add-ons, but United always wanted to get the deals done with add-ons. Now we can say that De Ligt will be joining the Red Devils for €45m plus €5m in add-ons. Bayern sources say these add-ons will be quite easy to reach, but it’s still structured quite favourably for United, and for Mazraoui it’s also €15m plus €5m in add-ons.

Now both players will travel to join United and both are set to sign five-year deals. In the case of De Ligt, this agreement was actually reached with his agent Rafaela Pimenta back in June, so he’s been waiting and waiting for United and was never negotiating with any other club. Mazraoui has also been waiting patiently since July, with United at times considering other right-back options like Vanderson and Denzel Dumfries. Still, Mazraoui looks a good option as he knows Erik ten Hag well from their time at Ajax, and he can fill in at left-back as well as on the right-hand side.

So, this is the double deal between Bayern and United, and now Bayern are expected to sign one more centre-back. Jonathan Tah’s agent is still working on the deal for him to move to the Allianz Arena so let’s wait for developments there, but he’s expected to be the new centre-back for the Bavarian giants.

Matthijs De Ligt is on his way to Manchester United

United also remain busy in the search for a new midfielder – they spoke with the agents of Sander Berge and have considered other options, but their top target remains Manuel Ugarte. PSG will have to drop their price as United will not pay crazy money, otherwise they could also sell one player in that position, it could be Scott McTominay or Casemiro, we will see, but they will likely need a sale in order to finance the deal.

Still, United could also go for a cheaper midfielder, so Berge could be one to watch after contacts with his agent, while Sofyan Amrabat remains a player on their list even after they initially decided not to sign him permanently from Fiorentina after last season’s loan came to an end. Amrabat remains appreciated by Ten Hag, so there are some Plan B options behind Ugarte, but let’s wait and see what happens with PSG on that one.

Two new signings close for Chelsea, but “impossible” for this Blues star to stay

Samu Omorodion is in London and ready to sign his seven-year deal with Chelsea, while Pedro Neto is also close to completing the formalities of his move as the Blues plan to unveil him in front of their fans at Stamford Bridge today.

Still, we also know that there are a few Chelsea players now out of the project – Romelu Lukaku, who has a three-year deal in place with Napoli, but also Kepa Arrizabalaga who is still dreaming of Real Madrid.

As well as that, Armando Broja is no longer training with the first-team, and it’s the same with Trevoh Chalobah. Both players are on the market, with Chalobah’s asking price at around £30m. It’s also important to say that David Datro Fofana is another player who could leave Chelsea on a permanent transfer, or on loan with an obligation.

Lukaku will not stay at Chelsea. Impossible. I keep saying it’s Napoli for Lukaku, regardless of the Osimhen story. Conte wants him, he wants to work with Conte, a three-year deal is ready and Napoli can accelerate soon. I don’t see any other option. Nothing is happening with Osimhen this week, there are no updates, but it’s not that strongly linked to Lukaku, and in any case the plan remains for the Nigerian striker to leave Napoli. Chelsea are still waiting, but for Osimhen we have to be patient because he is still not accepting a loan move, which is the only option at the moment for Chelsea, and also because Osimhen will not reduce his salary.

So, the conditions of the deal will have to change, or else other things could happen with the Osimhen story in the final few weeks of this summer’s transfer market.

There has been speculation about other potential Chelsea exits as well, with Carney Chukwuemeka linked with Barcelona. Still, my understanding is that there is nothing concrete so far. Chelsea have not received any bid for Chukwuemeka and the situation is currently quiet. Then in the next days we will see… but at the moment there has been no offer made to Chelsea from Barca.

Chelsea have also not received proposals from Juventus for Raheem Sterling so far, and Sterling has received no contact from Italy yet, despite rumours. What I’m told is that Juventus are working on the Nico Gonzalez deal with Fiorentina as their priority for the new winger.

Three Liverpool transfer updates

Liverpool are still working to convince Martin Zubimendi to join the club and are waiting for his final decision. Just a reminder that other clubs such as Arsenal have also been interested in the Real Sociedad midfielder in recent times but were unable to persuade him to move, though there were no negotiations from the Gunners for him this summer.

Elsewhere with Liverpool, Fabio Carvalho is closing in on completing his move to Brentford. It’s a permanent deal worth £20m plus add-ons. However, there is no news at all on Virgil van Dijk, despite some stories at various points this summer.

It’s currently very quiet as Liverpool are counting on Van Dijk and there are no significant updates so far. In my opinion, he should stay and continue as he’s a key player for Liverpool and new manager Arne Slot will need him and the quality and experience he brings.

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In other news…

Jadon Sancho – There’s still no major update on Jadon Sancho’s future, but he remains one of the cases of this market. PSG have been making contact with Sancho’s agents, but there’s no bid yet, and he’s back in the Man United squad so let’s see what they will decide to do.

Marc Guehi – Newcastle are still there, yes. It’s not over yet. They want to try again but Crystal Palace insist on £65m fee. There are currently no other clubs involved, but Newcastle have not completed the deal yet so it’s one to follow in the next days.

Vladimir Coufal – There has been talk of West Ham sales, and it is the case that Coufal could leave and also some players upfront, but for now I can guarantee that focus remains on completing signings. The Wan-Bissaka deal is being sealed, then West Ham will discuss outgoings in the final three weeks, with nothing imminent yet.

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Reassuring Liverpool transfer update as no sign of key Arne Slot player leaving

Mark Brus — Sun, 11 Aug 2024 07:08:12 +0000

Transfer news expert Fabrizio Romano has provided a reassuring Liverpool update as he says there’s not currently anything happening with Virgil van Dijk and a possible move away from Anfield.

There has been some speculation over Van Dijk’s future in recent times, but the experienced Netherlands international does not seem to have a move on the horizon for the moment, with Romano also expressing his view that the 33-year-old should stay as he’ll likely be an important part of Arne Slot’s plans.

Speaking exclusively to CaughtOffside for his latest Daily Briefing column, Romano moved to calm speculation about Van Dijk, insisting he’s not hearing any news at all on any potential exit this summer.

Romano is possibly the most well-connected transfer journalists in the industry, so if he’s not aware of anything happening with Van Dijk, then it most likely means LFC fans can relax about this story for the time being.

Van Dijk transfer: Reassuring Liverpool news from Romano

Virgil van Dijk with Liverpool

“There is no news at all on Virgil van Dijk, despite some stories at various points this summer,” Romano said.

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“It’s currently very quiet as Liverpool are counting on Van Dijk and there are no significant updates so far. In my opinion, he should stay and continue as he’s a key player for Liverpool and new manager Arne Slot will need him and the quality and experience he brings.”

It’s mostly been a quiet summer for Liverpool so far, but Romano did also provide some updates on the potential signing of Martin Zubimendi and Fabio Carvalho’s imminent departure to Brentford.

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“Big decisions have to be made” – Former CEO questions the futures of two huge Liverpool stars

Jason Pettigrove — Thu, 08 Aug 2024 07:55:38 +0000

Arne Slot has enjoyed a decent opening to his tenure at Liverpool, with the Reds having to be satisfied with how they’ve performed in pre-season.

Of course, in the grand scheme of things, those results are often incidental and it’s what matters once the first whistle goes in the Premier League season.

With respect, aside from an away fixture at Man United, Slot’s opening five games – that also includes matches against Ipswich Town, Bournemouth, Brentford and Nottingham Forest – should see the Dutchman off to a flying start at Anfield.

Liverpool potentially have some tough decisions to make

Taking any opponent lightly will be a recipe for disaster, though the professionalism that Slot’s squad have already shown would suggest that won’t form part of their thinking.

One area where the management and recruitment teams do need to concentrate is with regards to transfers.

??? Liverpool remain confident to sign Martín Zubimendi, with talks ongoing as reported earlier today.

There’s still work to do but #LFC on it. https://t.co/FCmDeLYOgN

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 7, 2024

CaughtOffside columnist and transfer expert, Fabrizio Romano, has indicated that the Reds are going to push for the signing of Real Sociedad’s brilliant midfielder, Martin Zubimendi, however, the futures of captain, Virgil van Dijk and keeper, Alisson Becker, may be of more interest to supporters.

“I still think that with Van Dijk and Alisson, there are two question marks that may stay unresolved for the next few weeks,” former Everton CEO, Keith Wyness said on the latest edition of Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast.

“It’s been very quiet at Anfield over the summer and they’ve gotten away with it with the new manager coming in – but the scrutiny is going to be really on them right now.

“The spotlight will be shining to see what’s going to happen now in August, and some big decisions have to be made.”

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Aug 11 2024, 22:54

Were the Reds to lose both their captain and main custodian at this late stage of the transfer window, it could prove incredibly problematic for Liverpool’s start to the campaign.

Finding players of equal ability and at a price considered acceptable with three weeks of the window to go isn’t impossible, but it will be difficult.

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Liverpool legend urges club to make ‘big decisions’ on three key players

CJ — Tue, 06 Aug 2024 14:55:30 +0000

Liverpool legend Phil Thompson has urged the club to make ‘big decisions’ over the futures of Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold.

The trio were key pillars in the success enjoyed by the Reds under Jurgen Klopp, who guided the club to Premier League and Champions League titles — and a further two finals — as well as a host of other honours.

However, all three have entered the final year of their contracts and are yet to accept new terms from the club. To see them leave Anfield for free would be a disaster, given they have a collective market value of €155m (per Transfermarkt).

And the loss of each would be felt in different ways, with Salah a talismanic goalscorer and enjoying a strong pre-season, Van Dijk the club captain and defensive stalwart, and Alexander-Arnold a creative powerhouse from the right.

For Thompson, the future of these players is one of the key problems to solve during the early stages of Arne Slot’s tenure in charge.

Virgil van Dijk, Sadio Mane and Trent Alexander-Arnold of Liverpool warms up during the pre-season friendly match between Liverpool and Athletic Club at Anfield on August 08, 2021 in Liverpool, England.

Phil Thompson urges Liverpool to solve contract problem

“He seems invigorated now and it’s all wonderful,” Thompson told talkSPORT of Salah, but then added: “But he’s not signed a contract. Trent’s not signed a contract. Virgil van Dijk’s not signed a contract.

“These are three big players we can ill afford, with our finances, to allow to go for nothing at the end of the season.

“So big decisions have got to be made with Mo, with Trent, with Virgil. Because when you’re budgeting in your finances for your club, you’ll have these prices, a certain price.

“Now, if they’re going for nothing at the end of next season, it’s a massive [loss]. So I still think decisions with one or two of them, big decisions have still got to be made.”

Liverpool have enjoyed a strong pre-season so far, beating Real Betis, Arsenal and Manchester United during their US tour — the latter by a 3-0 scoreline.

Their final friendly comes against Sevilla at Anfield on Sunday before they travel to Ipswich Town in their opening fixture of the 2024/25 Premier League season.

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Liverpool rising star denies suffering ‘imposter syndrome’

CJ — Thu, 01 Aug 2024 22:21:54 +0000

Jarell Quansah says he hasn’t felt any ‘imposter syndrome’ following his breakthrough season with Liverpool.

The 21-year-old was brought into the first team picture amid a spate of injuries and suspensions in defence under former boss Jurgen Klopp, going on to make 33 appearances across 2023/24.

Quansah drew plenty of plaudits for his performances, including from Klopp, who called him ‘Virgil 2.0’ in comparison to Liverpool teammate Virgil van Dijk.

The defender’s performances saw him called up to the provisional England squad ahead of Euro 2024, although he is yet to make his debut and didn’t make the squad which reached the final in Germany.

Nevertheless, Quansah’s stock is incredibly high.

Asked if he’s ever struggled to get his head around his newfound status, Quansah was very confident in his response.

“Never imposter [syndrome], nah,” Quansah said following Liverpool’s 2-1 friendly win over Arsenal in Philadelphia (via Liverpool Echo).

“Never anything like that. For me, I’ve always wanted to be a starting centre back for Liverpool so it’s never been I’ve landed here.

“You’ve all seen it as the last year but I’ve been working 16 years at Liverpool, grafting away which you probably don’t see. That’s always been my goal, that’s always been the plan.

“Definitely [my life has changed]. I knew that came with the job when I signed up for it. Just getting recognised around England, which is recognition of how well I’m doing to see I’ve got so many fans and people who idolise me. That’s always a good thing.

Jarell ? pic.twitter.com/bbGDMxeuYP

— Liverpool FC (@LFC) July 24, 2024

“I think you can figure it out yourself [what I’m trying to work on], I’m always looking at games back to see where I can improve. I’m not going to give anyone any secrets on what I’m working on. I’m still young, there’s a lot to improve on. That’s the best thing about it, I know I can be good at times but there’s so much potential and I need to keep working hard to fulfil it.

“I probably haven’t realised it how everyone would have thought I’d realised. It has not been a realisation of how I’ve done so far but a realisation that I’m capable of playing at the level and I can kick on so much better. There are so many things I can look back on last year and improve on. There are so many goals that I need to achieve, that’s the realisation.”

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Sources confirm that very good news is on the way for Liverpool supporters

Jason Pettigrove — Thu, 01 Aug 2024 09:57:41 +0000

It’s been a very quiet summer transfer window for Liverpool Football Club, but some very good news for supporters is seemingly on the horizon.

Liverpool were known to be continuing talks to extend the contracts of club captain, Virgil Van Dijk, Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold.

New coach, Arne Slot, is understood to have quickly approved the terms of the contract extensions of all three of his players.

Three Liverpool stars set to stay

Although CaughtOffside sources with knowledge of the talks understand that no agreement has yet been reached, they have confirmed that all three players are prioritising staying with the Premier League club.

That will be music to the ears of Reds fans who perhaps are a little nervous about the first few months post-Jurgen Klopp.

Saudi Pro League outfits, Al-Nassr, Al-Ittihad and Al-Ettifaq continue to be linked with van Dijk and Egyptian King, Salah, however, neither player has shown an appetite to listen to their overtures at this point, despite the evident riches that might be available to them should they decide to ply their trade in the 68th best league in the world (TeamForm).

Liverpool stars Trent Alexander-Arnold, Virgil Van Dijk and Mohamed Salah.

From Trent’s point of view, Real Madrid continue to be interested in his services, but Los Blancos are not considering making an offer to Liverpool for the Englishman whose contract expires in 2025.

The Spanish giants want to sign both Alphonso Davies and Alexander-Arnold for free in 2025.

If better contract offers than those which are on the table from Liverpool are received from a Premier League club, sources suggest that’s the only thing at this point which may change the players’ thoughts.

Though you can never say never in football, the pendulum certainly seems to have swung in Liverpool’s direction, and that’ll be a real boost to Slot as he attempts to win over the Anfield faithful.

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Virgil van Dijk replacement will cost Liverpool £50m as Reds captain faces uncertain future

Darren Looney — Thu, 25 Jul 2024 14:35:52 +0000

The future of Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk at Anfield remains uncertain heading into the 2024/25 campaign and the Reds have been told by Juventus that it will take £50m to sign his potential replacement in Gleison Bremer.

The Dutch star is out of contract with the Premier League club in 2025 and there has been no sign of a new one arriving. The centre-back turns 34 next summer and his next deal will unlikely be a long one.

Liverpool should be preparing for Van Dijk’s eventual exit and having lost Joel Matip at the end of last season, the Merseyside club are in the market for a new centre-back.

According to Football Insider, Juventus’ Bremer is a top target for the Reds and the Serie A giants are demanding at least £50m to part ways with the Brazilian. The 27-year-old signed a new deal with the Italian club until 2028 in December, which means Juve are under no pressure to sell this summer.

The Serie A defender has made a name for himself in Italy over the last six years and it remains to be seen if he starts a new chapter in his career ahead of the new season.

Juventus’ Gleison Bremer is admired by Liverpool

Liverpool need to prepare for life after Virgil van Dijk

Van Dijk has been the best centre-back in the world over the last few years and although Liverpool will not want to move on from their captain anytime soon, they need to start preparing for his exit, even if he pens a short-term deal over the coming months.

The Merseyside club already have two quality young centre-backs in Ibrahima Konate and Jarell Quansah, however, they will need others to compete.

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Bremer would be a solid signing for Liverpool but the Premier League club could recruit better. Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi is believed to be another option, however, Football Insider reports that the Reds have been put off by his £70m price tag.

It remains to be seen who Liverpool will recruit for the centre-back role as the next month is expected to be a bit busy at Anfield.

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Liverpool star open to Anfield exit, £46.4 million price tag set by the Reds

Ahad Shaukat — Mon, 22 Jul 2024 05:16:16 +0000

Liverpool are yet to make a new signing under manager Arne Slot.

Following his arrival after the departure of Jurgen Klopp, the Reds have been linked with a number of players in different positions.

However, they are still the only top six Premier League club who have not made any moves in the transfer market.

On top of that, they could lose one of their most important players this summer.

According to TEAMtalk, Virgil van Dijk is open to leaving Liverpool this summer and he has given his approval to a Saudi negotiator to start talks with the Reds over a transfer.

The Netherlands international is valued at €55 million (£46.4 million) by the Merseyside club, which is reportedly more than the Saudi Pro League had anticipated.

The defender has entered the final year of his contract at Anfield and the Saudi Pro League officials are waiting till January, when the Dutch defender will be able to sign a pre-contract agreement with any club.

Virgil Van Dijk has entered his contract’s final year at Liverpool.

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