Van Dijk at Real Madrid, the wild revelation shaking Liverpool | OneFootball

Van Dijk at Real Madrid, the wild revelation

Van Dijk at Real Madrid, the wild revelation shaking Liverpool

Virgil van Dijk could have worn the Real Madrid jersey. The Dutch rock, now Liverpool's captain, once considered joining Los Blancos, weary of repeated Champions League eliminations at the hands of the Spanish giants. After two lost finals (2018, 2022) and several bitter disappointments, the thought of a move to Madrid crossed his mind.

An aborted move before his Liverpool extension

According to Spanish sources, Van Dijk's representatives did indeed reach out to Real to gauge Madrid's interest. But the response was clear: a categorical refusal. At the time, the defender was just coming back from a severe knee injury—a torn cruciate ligament—which made the Merengues' management hesitate despite his return to top form.

The story could have taken a different turn, but Van Dijk ultimately decided to extend his Anfield adventure after much deliberation. Until mid-April, he kept his options open, even turning down a lucrative offer from Saudi Arabia’s Al-Hilal. Loyal to his beloved club, he chose to stay and continue Liverpool’s project.

Ironically, Real Madrid have not closed the Liverpool chapter: Trent Alexander-Arnold has already joined the Spanish capital, and Ibrahima Konaté is now on the Madrid board's radar. Van Dijk’s destiny, however, remains red. But in another universe, he might have dazzled in white.