Real Madrid ‘reject’ chance to sign Liverpool star with the defender ‘not in their plans’
La Liga giants Real Madrid have turned down the opportunity to sign Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk, according to reports in Spain.
The Reds have been in brilliant form this season with Arne Slot guiding Liverpool to top spot in the Premier League, six points ahead of closest rivals Arsenal, with a game in hand.
And Slot could hardly have wished for a better start at Anfield after he left Feyenoord in the summer to replace legendary Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp.
The main issue Slot has had since his arrival is the contract situations of three of his star players with Van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Mohamed Salah all out of contract at the end of the current campaign.
Van Dijk feels more likely than the other two to sign as things stand and Spanish website Relevo claims that Real Madrid ‘rejected’ the chance to sign the Netherlands international recently.
It’s understood that the ‘player’s agents offered him for the summer of 2025, but he is not in the plans of the white team’ despite still ‘working on possible signings’.
The report adds:
‘According to Relevo, the 33-year-old Dutchman’s agents contacted Madrid’s management to inform them of the centre-back’s willingness to join the Bernabéu from the summer of 2025.
‘They applied to reinforce an area of the pitch where they have suffered too many problems in recent years with injuries such as those of Militao or Alaba.
‘However, the proposal was rejected by the Chamartín club . Although he would arrive on a free transfer and after a season in which he is shining with Liverpool, it was decided to decline interest in favour of other profiles that are better suited to what they are looking for.
‘Now, Van Dijk is close to renewing his contract with the Reds . A succulent option but one that was not taken into account due to age and conditions.’
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Speaking after their 2-2 draw against Liverpool, he was asked by Sky Sports if there was anything new on the contract front, Van Dijk replied: “Nothing.”
Pushed on if he was expecting any update soon, Van Dijk responded: “I don’t think so, but I am calm about it, like I said months ago.
“We’ll see what happens in the future and at this point I have got absolutely no update. It’s all about at the moment focusing, for me and the team, on Spurs [on Wednesday night]. It will be a tough game again, but a good [Carabao Cup] semi-final.”
Liverpool boss Slot was focused on Van Dijk’s qualities after the match, he said: “I have a long list [for what makes him special]. Game intelligence, big, strong, fast, I was impressed by his possession and that was from first session, I was like ‘wow’.
“He can delay his choice, play the passes through the lines and he is a complete player. One of the best players in the world in his position.
“Of course, even for Virgil we would like to see improvements. I will tell Virgil this. He is also the one that leads the team from start to finish. I hear one player and that is Virgil.
“That is the standard at this club. They have to keep at this level and that is what they have done, Mo and Virgil, for eight years now.”
