Virgil van Dijk left Liverpool supporters unsure for a long time whether he would extend his contract. The Liverpool captain dragged it all the way to mid-April before he fished out his signature pen for new seasons. Mo Salah and Van Dijk thus became two of three key players who showed their loyalty to the Reds. Trent Alexander-Arnold chose Real Madrid, which caused a large proportion of the supporters to turn their backs on the former supporter favorite. According to Spanish media, the captain was also waiting for a phone call from the La Liga giant.
Ha?! It can’t be true that Virgil van Dijk would also have gone to Madrid, if the opportunity came. Spanish AS believes the Dutchman was waiting for his opportunity.
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The Liverpool star was free to negotiate with other clubs. For a long time, it looked like he was on his way out of Anfield, before signing a new deal with “The Reds” in April. According to the Spanish media, van Dijk fought tooth and nail for a long time to get a transfer to Real Madrid. The Dutchman’s agents are said to have contracted their Spanish counterparts to try to establish direct contact with “Los Blancos” and thus open a door.
Van Dijk waited “as long as he could” before finally extending his contract with Liverpool. According to AS, the 34-year-old turned down many offers – including several from “The Reds” – in the hope that Real Madrid would eventually approach him, but that never happened.
Real Madrid prioritised other centre-backs, and eventually signed Dean Huijsen from Bournemouth instead.
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We guess it’s no coincidence that AS publishes this just before Tuesday’s Champions League match between Liverpool and Real Madrid….
