van-dijk-liverpool (2)
van-dijk-liverpool (2)
So far this season, Liverpool have only fallen to one defeat. The Reds are far from fully-formed in Andoni Iraola's system, but there's no question that they have heaps of potential.
Theirs is a squad capable of challenging for the biggest honours over the coming years. Technical director Julian Ward will be tasked with applying polish in the right areas to make this a complete team once again.
Liverpool-Mac-Allister-Ngumoha-Nyoni-Tsimikas-Gravenberch-Koumas-Araujo
Let's hope the Anfield side can get something in the bag before the current campaign winds down, though. After all, this is slated to be legendary captain Virgil van Dijk's final year on Merseyside.
Is Van Dijk declining at Liverpool?
Van Dijk was criticised for his mistake early on against Villarreal. Liverpool content creator Michael Quill remarked that he was "incredibly slow to react" against the La Liga side.
Van Dijk isn't in his prime, but he's still performing at a sky-high level for Liverpool in the Premier League.
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Virgil van Dijk's Premier League Form
Stats (* per 90)
Matches (starts)
Clean sheets
Goals + Assists
Touches*
Accurate passes*
Chances created*
Possession lost*
Ball recoveries*
Tackles + interceptions*
Clearances*
Duels won*
In fairness, it does make sense. Van Dijk is approaching the twilight of his illustrious Premier League career, 35 years old and starting to see errors creep into his game with greater regularity than once before.
Luckily, the Netherlands skipper has an immense new partner beside him in Jeremy Jacquet, whose robustness and athleticism mark him as an elite player. You'd hope so, to be fair, with Liverpool spending £60m to sign the Rennes prospect back at the start of the year.
Coy on his future, Van Dijk is out of contract next summer, though the door may be ajar for him to extend for a further year.
However, if the veteran does bow out in 2027, Iraola and the wider Liverpool persuasion will take solace in the rich crop of youth talent springing up in central defence.
Liverpool have signed a Jacquet-level talent
All of a sudden, Liverpool have plenty of depth in central defence. Soon to join Jacquet at Anfield is Giovanni Leoni, who made his debut for the club over a year ago, after signing from Parma for £27m. The 19-year-old has been sidelined for a year with an ACL injury.
Liverpool defender Jeremy Jacquet
Liverpool defender Jeremy Jacquet
However, Liverpool's rebirth at the rearguard doesn't stop there. Indeed, though he currently plies his trade out on loan in Spain with Levante, it's already clear Liverpool could have a future superstar in Ifeanyi Ndukwe.
Ndukwe, 18, failed to earn a work permit in England after agreeing a deal to sign the Austria Vienna prospect back in January. A frustrating blow, but he has found a loan home with Levante in Spain, and he is riding the crest of a wave with the club, worming his way into regular starting contention.
On Monday evening, the two-footed defender excelled from the start against Athletic Bilbao in La Liga. There is a real furore building around this one, with journalist Rafa Esteve saying, "If he continues like this, he will establish himself as one of the world’s top centre-backs for the future."
Analyst Raj Chohan has hailed the teenager for having "Van Dijk vibes" in central defence. He is lanky and composed beyond his years, someone who appears tailor-made for the Premier League, both physical and a talented technician from the back.
Ndukwe could slot right into Liverpool's starting 11 - especially if Van Dijk leaves next summer. In that, he would emulate Jacquet on English shores, with the Frenchman having made an emphatic start to life in the Premier League, already looking like an upgrade on Ibrahima Konate before him.
Ndukwe may well spend the duration of the 2026/27 campaign out on loan in Spain. If so, Liverpool will merely have to wait for a young centre-half who is showing all the signs of the natural successor when the fateful day comes for Van Dijk to draw down the curtain on his Liverpool career.