A club interested in signing Virgil van Dijk were left bitterly disappointed
Virgil van Dijk of Liverpool looks dejected
Manchester United v Liverpool, Premier League, Football, Old Trafford, Manchester , UK - 03 May 2026
Virgil van Dijk is being eyed by an MLS club(Image: Matt West/Shutterstock)
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Virgil van Dijk’s absence from Liverpool’s pre-season tour of America left Chicago Fire bosses gutted as they're reportedly hoping to sign him next summer.
The third and final leg of Liverpool’s US tour this summer saw them take on Leeds United in Chicago, Illinois, where the Reds suffered a 4-2 defeat on Sunday.
Andoni Iraola’s men played the fixture at Soldier Field, home to Chicago Fire, having also trained at the MLS side’s performance centre. However, club captain Van Dijk was a notable omission from the entire trip to the States.
That’s because he was granted an extended summer break by Liverpool following his campaign with the Netherlands at the World Cup, meaning he was excused from travelling with the rest of the squad.
But the 35-year-old’s absence is said to have left Chicago Fire staff disappointed. The Mail reports that the Fire have lined up Van Dijk as a potential future signing.
His current deal expires next summer, and from January he can sign a pre-contract agreement with clubs outside of England to sign as a free agent at the end of the season. The MLS side had hoped to make an unofficial transfer pitch to the Dutchman by showing him around their state-of-the-art facilities, which were also hired out by Germany during the World Cup.
Dominik Szoboszlai of Liverpool during a training session at Endeavor Health Performance Center in Chicago, Illinois.
The rest of the Liverpool squad trained at Endeavor Health Performance Center in Chicago, Illinois(Image: Getty )
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That was all an attempt to show the Reds skipper why America can be a go-to destination, with the club also having recently signed Robert Lewandowski on a two-year deal.
Van Dijk is currently on a £350,000-a-week contract which he signed just over a year ago. Liverpool refused to listen to offers for their legendary defender this summer, even at the risk of potentially losing him for free this time next year, given how important his leadership and experience is to Iraola’s youthful backline.
It is uncertain whether Van Dijk will be offered a new contract at all throughout the upcoming season by the Reds hierarchy. According to La Gazetta dello Sport, after realising a deal would be impossible this summer, the likes of AC Milan are already hoping to sign the centre-back as a free agent in a year's time.
Van Dijk has been training at the AXA Training Centre since last week, with Liverpool's main squad joining up with him and Cody Gakpo following their Merseyside return early this week, after the conclusion of their US tour.