Blockbuster Liverpool transfer hope as sources reveal world-leading star is ready to explore 2026 move | OneFootball

Liverpool have been given hope that a deal for a player seen as a dream successor for Virgil van Dijk could be on next summer after sources revealed the player is ready to alter his stance over a potential exit from his current club, though competition will likely emerge from two fellow Premier League heavyweights.

The Reds made Van Dijk the second most costly defender in football history when they paid Southampton £75m (€85m, $100m) for the Dutch maestro; a move that has paid rich dividends for the Reds with the now 34-year-old going on to become one of the elite centre-halves in world football.

While Van Dijk continues to set high standards on the pitch and is showing no signs of slowing down, Liverpool’s hierarchy knows there will come a time when their inspirational leader will have to move on – and Reds’ transfer chiefs are expecting that to arrive by the time his current two-year deal, signed over the summer, expires in summer 2027.

With succession planning already underway at Anfield, sources can reveal the Reds have been alerted to the increased possibility that Inter Milan’s star defender Alessandro Bastoni could be open to a move in 2026.

Bastoni is widely considered one of the finest central defenders in world football, and he is attracting attention from a host of clubs.

The 26-year-old’s current deal expires in 2028, and while we’ve been informed he is very happy at the San Siro, intermediaries have been in contact with a number of sides amid the belief that the 41-times capped Italy international will be looking to move in the not-so-distant future.

A source with knowledge of the situation confirmed to TEAMtalk: “Alessandro is happy at Inter, and in Italy, but at 26, there is the belief he might look to try his hand abroad. He is at the top of his game, and not many in the world currently compare to him.

“2026 is going to be a big year for him.”

Liverpool face strong competition for Alessandro Bastoni

We can confirm that only the world’s top clubs are being informed of Bastoni’s possible availability, alongside Liverpool, Premier League rivals Manchester City, and Chelsea are among them.

However, the former Atalanta defender is also emerging as a potential target for some of Europe’s biggest and most powerful sides too, with Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain also being kept informed on what is sure to be a hotly contested transfer race.

Bastoni has played 278 times for Inter since joining the Nerazzuri in 2019, helping the club reach two Champions League finals and winning seven major honours, including the Serie A title in 2020/21 and 2023/24.

A member of Italy’s successful Euro 2020 winning side, Bastoni moved to quell speculation over his future earlier this week when questioned by Italian TV on the eve of the Italian Super Cup semi-final against Bologna.

“Rumours about my future? These things make me proud; it means I’m doing well, but like you, I read the papers too.

“There’s nothing going on; I’m happy here, and I don’t have any problems. I don’t think about things outside the pitch.

“Will I stay at Inter? Probably yes.”

Any deal, however, will not come cheaply. With two years left on his deal come the summer, Inter Milan are thought to value their prized asset in the €75m (£66m, $88m) bracket.

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Meanwhile, Liverpool are poised to go head-to-head with Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund over the signing of one of European football’s most in-form strikers this season – and the player in question looks poised to get the green light to seal a transfer for a hugely modest fee.

Elsewhere, stunning claims that £130m Swede Alexander Isak could be sold after just one season at Anfield have been made, with one observer explaining why the form of another Reds attacker could prove decisive.

The big issue for Liverpool right now surrounds the future of Mo Salah after his recent tantrum brought his Anfield future under the spotlight.

Initial talks between Liverpool and Salah’s camp have since been held – and yielded one early conclusion: the Egyptian will NOT accept being a squad player.

That poses a problem for Liverpool, not least because the 33-year-old’s attacking output this season has dropped, and does not justify being given a free pass on the defensive side of the game.

Finally, Kostas Tsimikas could see his loan spell with Roma cut short and return to Anfield in January.