Transfer insider: Liverpool have no intention of selling one Anfield stalwart in the summer | OneFootball

According to one transfer insider, Liverpool have no intention of selling Virgil van Dijk in the summer and would prefer to see him run out his current contract.

The Reds captain penned a two-year extension last April which ties him down at Anfield until June 2027, when he’ll be on the cusp of his 36th birthday.

His situation is largely similar to that of Mo Salah, who also agreed new terms nine months ago to keep him on Merseyside until the end of next season, should he see out the duration of that agreement.

Liverpool have no intention of selling Van Dijk this year

On Monday, Pete O’Rourke reported for Football Insider that Liverpool plan to let Van Dijk see out the remaining 17 months of his contract and have no plans to sell him later this year, even if it means missing out on a potential transfer fee for him.

With Ibrahima Konate set to depart in the summer unless he pens a new deal in the meantime – something which is far from guaranteed, given that talks with the club have reportedly stalled – sources have indicated that selling the Dutchman in 2026 would be counterproductive.

It’s added that the 34-year-old ‘is still seen as a key part of the Reds’ plans for next season’ in his role as captain.

(Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)

Keeping Van Dijk is a no-brainer for Liverpool

Despite shipping criticism of his performances in recent months and enduring a difficult outing in the defeat at Bournemouth on Saturday, Liverpool would be quite right not to countenance selling Van Dijk this year and instead keep him for the remainder of his current contract.

Given that he turns 35 in July, the Reds are highly unlikely to command a significant fee if they were to sell the defender in the summer; and to put it mildly, they’re not in a position to frivolously discard their legendary captain given the composition of the squad right now.

Arne Slot has had to manage with just three senior centre-backs for most of the season after the devastating ACL setback to Giovanni Leoni. We’ve already touched upon the increasing possibility of Konate leaving in the next few months, and Joe Gomez has now been sidelined with yet another injury.

In that context, to sell Van Dijk this year purely to avoid losing him on a free transfer in 2027 would be negligent to a criminal degree.

Liverpool do need to get the wheels in motion regarding a long-term succcession plan after our skipper departs, but amid such alarming instability in such a crucial area of the pitch, the idea of selling the bedrock of our defence in the coming summer is surely inconceivable.

Keeping the Dutchman for next season is paramount, especially with our centre-back options already so threadbare.