Liverpool want new Virgil van Dijk who DREAMS of joining Reds | OneFootball

Liverpool colossus Virgil van Dijk signed a new contract before the end of last season - tying him to the club until 2027.

The club captain is now 34 - but showing no signs of slowing down having led the Reds to the Premier League title in the 2024/25 season.

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Van Dijk has been in immense form for club and country at the start of this season - once again proving how indispensable he is to head coach Arne Slot.

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But time waits for no man. One day Van Dijk - who joined the club in January 2018 for £75m from Southampton - will have to take his leave.

Liverpool's Van Dijk successor could be Aaron Bouwman

And Liverpool will have to consider a replacement.

There is plenty of uncertainty around the centre-back department right now - given the failed bid for Marc Guehi and the contract situation of Ibrahima Konate - while there could be movement for a Van Dijk successor next summer.

And among the candidates unearthed is a player who IDOLISES the Liverpool skipper and who is currently starring under a former Liverpool coach.

Aaron Bouwman, 18, has broken into the Ajax first team this season - making his Eredivisie debut in the opening game of the campaign against Telstar.

The towering centre-back had a composed debut and looks set to become the next big talent from the Ajax academy.

Having originally joined the Amsterdam as an 11-year-old, Bouwman has made his way through the various age groups - signing a contract until 2027 back in 2024.

Bouwman excelling under John Heitinga

He was previously called up to the Ajax squad for preseason training under Francesco Farioli - John Heitinga’s predecessor - last year.

And he was again part of the first-team structure last summer - clearly making a big impact on the Ajax head coach. Heitinga has recently been installed as Ajax manager following his departure from Anfield where he worked as Arne Slot’s assistant.

And now he is in charge of developing a player who Liverpool are “circling” according to a report in TEAMtalk.

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Liverpool circling Ajax for Bouwman

“Clubs like Chelsea, Manchester United, Barcelona, Liverpool, and Manchester City are all circling, viewing him as the next in a lineage of Dutch defensive gems destined for stardom,” the report reads.

Bouwman has already told the club’s official website of his admiration for Van Dijk - and he could well have the opportunity to learn alongside the Netherlands’ captain should he make a move next summer.

"His composure on the ball, his technique, his passing, and of course his defending. It’s really everything about his presence," Bouwman said of his compatriot.

The player also admitted that he has big ambitions of playing in the Premier League - honing in on one of the top clubs in the division.

"The top four of the Premier League is my ultimate dream, although playing at the top in Spain or another major footballing country would also be amazing,” said Bouwman, who was born to an English mother and Dutch father.

Let’s keep an eye on how this one develops - and Liverpool could well follow up their signing of one 18-year-old defender in Giovanni Leoni with another in the shape of Bouwman.