'Not true' — Journalist shuts down talks of European powerhouses wanting to sign £75m Liverpool icon

Liverpool are due to bid farewell to some key players this summer as Jurgen Klopp’s departure spells the end of an iconic era at Anfield. The likes of Joël Matip and Thiago Alcantara are expected to leave the club as free agents at the end of the season but others have been linked to exits through paid transfers as well.

Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold are all entering the final 12 months of their contracts, and speculation has been swirling over their futures. If new deals aren’t signed, Liverpool may be forced to cash in on the star trio to avoid losing them for free in 2025.

However, promising reports have suggested that all three could potentially be staying beyond this season and a new update on the captain will certainly settle some fans’ nerves. Van Dijk has been rumoured to be on Borussia Dortmund’s watch list but a follow up post by BILD’s Christian Falk has shut down these talks.

“The rumours about a transfer of Virgil van Dijk to Dortmund are not true,” he wrote on Twitter. “There are currently no talks between the club and the management of van Dijk.”

Fabrizio Romano has also provided a similar update, claiming that the link between the Reds skipper and the Bundesliga powerhouses is ‘not something real or concrete at this point’. They are reportedly more focused on keeping hold of loan stars Jadon Sancho from Manchester United and Ian Maatsen from Chelsea.

While the rumours of Dortmund’s interest in van Dijk have been debunked, there is still the matter of the skipper agreeing new terms at Anfield. The centre-back signed for Liverpool in 2017 for £75 million and he has transformed their backline since his arrival.

The Dutchman revealed back in 2020 that he wants to become a Liverpool legend, and while he has certainly achieved that status, fans will be hoping he has more to commit to the club as they enter a new era.