Ronald Koeman has hinted Virgil van Dijk will remain in European football next season amid the uncertainty surrounding his Liverpool future.
The center-back’s contract expires this summer and he last week revealed he has ‘no idea’ what the future has in store for him. Van Dijk has been linked with all of Europe’s biggest clubs in recent months, while reports of a possible lucrative switch to Saudi Arabia or the USA have been mentioned.
But Koeman, the Netherlands international manager, seemed to pour cold water over the latter moves by claiming that Van Dijk wants to continue playing at the sport’s pinnacle.
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Asked if he has any advice for the Liverpool skipper, Koeman replied: “Whether he signs with Liverpool or another big club, that's all good for me. We'll see what happens. And what I understand from Virgil is that he is still looking for the level he is at now.”
The Liverpool skipper was seen deep in conversation with Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi last week but a club spokesman has since denied that impromptu chat had anything to do with a possible move to the French capital.
"The conversation between Van Dijk, the club president, and also the sporting director was completely natural and spontaneous,” said Pascal Ferre, director of press and media at PSG.
“Our president did not discuss any negotiations to sign the player, and everything rumored about this is false. The discussion was friendly, and the club president has the utmost respect for Van Dijk.”
Van Dijk has also been linked with the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich this season, but there remains confidence at Anfield that Van Dijk will pen a new deal before the 2025/26 campaign, ideally, along with team-mates Trent Alexander-Arnold and Mohamed Salah.
Liverpool’s no.4 was one of the few players to emerge with some credit from Sunday’s Carabao Cup final defeat to Newcastle United, with Van Dijk calling for a renewed Premier League push when the club game resumes after the international break.
“The job is not done and what we have coming up, we have to work for,” he decreed after the loss at Wembley. “For me personally, there shouldn't be extra motivation,” Van Dijk added. “You are playing for the biggest prize that you work so hard for. From the start of the season, no one expected us to be challenging for the Premier League.”
Meanwhile, Koeman was speaking ahead of the Netherlands’ Nations League quarter-final double header against Spain this week, with the first leg to be played in Rotterdam on Thursday. The winners will progress to the final which is to be played in Italy or Germany this summer.
