Liverpool defender tipped for RADICAL transfer move | OneFootball

Van Dijk will be forced to move

While the Dutchman won't be going anywhere in a transfer sense because he's the captain and still an integral part of the team, his role in the team may be tinkered with as the Reds assess' the options.

Ibrahima Konate's contract situation is causing a great deal of distress behind the scenes, because while he looks to be a fully committed part of the team, he's still not been tied down beyond this season, and the need for a defender is only compounded by the uncertainty around the Frenchman.

Replacing the 26-year-old is one thing, but Slot would still only have an ageing Van Dijk, an unreliable Joe Gomez and a young prodigy in Giovanni Leoni who is still recovering from a long-term ACL injury.

As such, it's important that Liverpool consider all possible options when it comes to scouting new defenders, regardless of whether Konate stays or not. He could be replaced like-for-like by Jeremy Jacquet if the club can persuade the youngster to move, but it may not be as straightforward as that.

According to Football Insider, it's plausible that Van Dijk could move to the right-centre-back role, where Konate normally plays, in order to make way for a new left-sided centre-back. This is based on how recent reports have claimed that Liverpool like Marc Guehi, Alessandro Bastoni and Nico Schlotterbeck, who all play in the captain's position. It would be a truly radical call for Slot to make.

In a sense, it's plausible since Van Dijk is right-footed, and you'd expect the focus of his long-balls to gradually switch to the left-winger in the team, now that Mohamed Salah is starting to slow down.

But even still, this would be the club breaking a near 10-year-old tradition of keeping the three main leaders in the team in their preferred positions. It could well revolutionise how Liverpool play football.

From a transfer standpoint, you can understand it and with Konate set to leave as things stand, because there hasn't been any update on a potential contract breakthrough, it would make sense.

Nonetheless, if this is the call Liverpool go on to make, it's as clear a sign as any that we're entering a new dawn for the team and going into the unknown with a side in transition is a daunting prospect.