‘We are not stupid’ – Slot speaks out on Van Dijk future at Liverpool after Jacquet signing | OneFootball

Arne Slot is “very pleased” with the signing of Jeremy Jacquet as “not stupid” Liverpool prepare for a future without Virgil van Dijk.

The Reds beat off competition from Chelsea to complete the £60m signing of Jacquet on deadline-day – shortly before the 20-year-old was given the runaround by Mason Greenwood – and the defender will stay with Rennes until the end of the season and join the Liverpool squad in the summer.

Asked in his pre-Man City press conference for his verdict on the deal, Slot said he was “very pleased” for two reasons.

“Very pleased of course, because first of all he’s a very big talent, maybe even more than a talent – but we speak about talent because of his age of course,” the head coach told reporters.

“Second of all, because we weren’t the only ones interested in him.

“So another big compliment for the people working every single day, so hard, that we were able to sign such a big talent.

“Another example of the model we are using at this club. Young, very talented players, sometimes at the start of their careers, sometimes already a few years in.

“But always players that are young and can improve us and help us for the short but definitely also for the long term.

“We’ve signed a lot of them recently and I’ve said many times that the mid-to-long-term future, but even the short-term future, of this club is in a very, very good place.”

After Giovanni Leoni joined from Parma for £26m in the summer, Liverpool will hope they’ve signed a pair who can take up the mantle from Ibrahima Konate – who looks set to leave on a free transfer at the end of the season – and Van Dijk, who turns 35 this summer ahead of final contracted year at the club.

Neither Konate nor Van Dijk have been anywhere near their best this season and Slot insists Liverpool are “not stupid” and are “aware” that Van Dijk will not be around forever.

“Nothing that’s done over here is ever from panic,” he added.

“It’s always a long-term idea or something that has been thought about for a long time. By not only one person, but by multiple people.

“Of course we are aware of the fact that Virgil will not play for this club for 10 more years, but he has a one-and-a-half-year contract left so he will be with us for that period of time and maybe even longer if he keeps staying as fit as he is now.

“Because I’ve said it before, what a compliment to him at his age to play every three days, not only for our club but also for his country, for seven or eight months already.

“So yeah, hopefully he can stay as fit as he is for multiple years.

“But this club, we are not stupid, we do know that somewhere in the upcoming years there is life for this club without Virgil.

“So you are now talking about Virgil, but I can say this for every position: this club is not only thinking about the short-term future, but also the mid-to-long-term future, in the decisions we make.”