Liverpool rocked as Real Madrid want best player to join in 2027

The best player at Liverpool is a transfer target for Real Madrid in 2027, and Los Blancos might not have to pay a fee to get the deal done.

When asking who Liverpool’s best player was in recent years, three names would come to mind – Alisson Becker, Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah.

With Salah now departed and Alisson’s influence on games limited by the fact he’s a goalkeeper, the obvious answer to the question right now is Van Dijk.

The 35-year-old remains one of world football’s premier centre-halves despite his advancing age. In the current campaign, he’s struck up an impressive partnership with new boy Jeremy Jacquet who is 14 years his junior.

The Reds have kept three clean sheets in a row in the league, which has also coincided with Ronald Araujo starting at right-back.

Yet according to the latest from Spanish outlet, Mundo Deportivo, the leader of the pack could play in white, not red, next season.

Real Madrid target Virgil van Dijk via free agency

Van Dijk is out of contract next summer and per the report, the Dutchman is now in Real Madrid’s sights.

The LaLiga giants are partial to a canny free agent coup, and signed Ibrahima Konate as well as Bernardo Silva via that method last summer.

After confirming Real’s interest in Van Dijk, the report stated: ‘Real Madrid signed Konate this summer. The Frenchman arrived on a free transfer from Liverpool, and that same deal could be repeated with Van Dijk.’

Adding fuel to this fire are claims Real Madrid manager, Jose Mourinho, wants a new centre-back signed.

Mourinho actually desired a new centre-half on top of Konate last summer, though after the club failed to shift Raul Asencio, the decision was taken to stick with what they had… for now.

MD added: ‘Mourinho wanted another centre-back, but no one else arrived because Asencio didn’t leave Real Madrid last summer.’

Real Madrid aren’t the only ones tracking Van Dijk, with recent reports out of Italy claiming the defender is heading to AC Milan next year.

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That’s according to journalist Carlo Pellegatti who stated (as cited by Football Italia): “Every now and then, people make fun of me for saying Van Dijk would join, but then they had done the same the January before Zlatan Ibrahimovic arrived.

“I continue to say that Gerry Cardinale (Milan’s owner) made clear: ‘Either we get him now by paying or next year for free.’ I said that Van Dijk will arrive at Milan sooner or later.

“We’ll see if Cardinale changes his mind or not, but I can assure you it was not just a name I pulled out of thin air.”

In any case, what is clear is if Liverpool don’t offer Van Dijk fresh terms, or even if they do but the parties don’t strike an agreement, the player won’t lack for high profile offers.

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