Galatasaray are accelerating their efforts to sign Virgil van Dijk from Liverpool this summer, as they plan a defensive rebuild.
Fotomaç double down on the Liverpool star today, insisting that he is the star name the Turkish side want to bolster their defence this summer.
Van Dijk wants to leave Liverpool
Sport Witness covered a report earlier this week that stated Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk was at the top of Galatasaray’s transfer wish list this summer.
That report stated that the Super Lig club were open to matching Van Dijk’s Anfield wages and, crucially, that the 34-year-old was open to the move.
Fotomaç now report that head coach Okan Buruk wants to see a ‘leading star’ signed to bolster his defence next season. Van Dijk who is ‘planning to leave Liverpool’, has become a ‘prominent name’ in their thinking.
The outlet states that Van Dijk is looking to leave Liverpool at the end of the season. Furthermore, he’s even considering terminating his contract, perhaps following in the footsteps of Mohamed Salah.
The growing belief is that the Dutchman is open to joining Galatasaray this summer. He played against Galatasaray twice this season and was ‘impressed by the atmosphere’ created by the Turkish fans. That, it seems, opened the door to a move.
Thus, the Turkish side’s management will now ‘accelerate its contacts’ regarding Van Dijk as soon as their transfer work for next season begins.
Liverpool overhaul
Now, as with the report earlier this week, Sport Witness would urge caution. This report again feels like massive, Turkish confidence based on very little.
Most important is the idea that Virgil van Dijk will terminate his contract at Liverpool this summer. Given that’s already happened with Mohamed Salah, it would be a major move for Liverpool to sanction another such exit.
With Andy Robertson also departing and Alisson also potentially leaving, letting Van Dijk go on a free would be a huge and controversial decision from Liverpool’s hierarchy.
But, the confidence in Türkiye is there and the reports are growing by the minute. That suggests, at least, that something is going on behind the scenes.