Liverpool captain never considered Real Madrid transfer last summer despite rumours | OneFootball

As Liverpool get set to take on Real Madrid later tonight at Anfield, reports in Spain earlier today claimed that the Reds’ captain, Virgil van Dijk, was eager to join Real Madrid last summer.

It was claimed that the Netherlands international’s agents tried to push for a move to the Santiago Bernabeu, given that his contract at Anfield stood to expire in the summer.

However, with Real Madrid not showing any interest in such an operation, Van Dijk ended up signing a new lucrative contract to stay with Liverpool.

Van Dijk always wanted to stay

However, according to Fabrizio Romano, Van Dijk never considered leaving Liverpool for Real Madrid in the summer.

The 34-year-old centre-back always wished to renew his contract with the Premier League champions and ended up doing so, signing a new deal until 2027 back in April.

Van Dijk signed a new contract at Anfield in April. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)

Having stayed put at Anfield, the Dutchman has made 14 appearances for Liverpool this season, even chipping in with a couple of goals. However, he has faced some criticism as the Reds have been going through a disappointing run of form in recent weeks.

While Van Dijk was not on Real Madrid’s agenda, they did manage to pry away another key player from Liverpool as Trent Alexander-Arnold joined for a nominal fee after refusing to renew his contract.

Moving forward, the Merengues are targeting Van Dijk’s centre-back partner, Ibrahima Konate, for the summer of 2026.

The French international’s contract expires at the end of the season and renewal talks have not progressed much, and Real Madrid are ready to pounce and lure the centre-back on a free transfer come summer.