Virgil Van Dijk
Liverpool have seen some major changes over the last two years with their squad, with a number of key players departing the club.
Trent Alexander-Arnold left after the club lifted the Premier League title in 2025, while Mohamed Salah, Andy Robertson, and Ibrahima Konate all left on free transfers this past summer, with Curtis Jones also being sold to Inter Milan, and Arne Slot being replace by Andoni Iraola as manager.
Next summer is expected to be another of big change, with captain Virgil Van Dijk and Alisson Becker both also out of contract in 2027, and Alexis Mac Allister entering the final 12 months of his deal with no sign of an extension in sight.
Those changes are all huge, but there are arguably none bigger than the eventual departure of Van Dijk. The Netherlands star will be 36 by the time the 2027/28 season begins, and it's fair to say that on his performances of this season, he's not at his best anymore either.
The standout defender at the club has been Jeremy Jacquet, who was a £60m arrival from Rennes in the summer window, and has slotted into Premier League football seamlessly, even becoming part of Zinedine Zidane's France squad too.
So the attention of the club now is on finding the man to slot in alongside him for years to come, and it has now emerged that they believe they have found their top target.
Did it happen before or after?
Round 1 of 9
According to the Daily Briefing, Liverpool chiefs are showing a very strong interest in Brighton sensation Luka Vuskovic ahead of next summer.
The Croatia defender joined the Seagulls from Tottenham last summer, in a deal worth around £50m after an excellent loan spell in the Bundesliga. Many believed he was set to become part of the Spurs first-team, but instead they opted to cash in, with De Zerbi preferring experience.
Since the move, the 19-year-old has continued to see his reputation as one of the best young defenders in Europe rise, with some excellent performances as Brighton push for a Champions League spot. His statistics for the campaign have him right up there among the elite, including Van Dijk, and that has seen the club put a huge asking price of around £90m on his head to fend off any interested parties.
But the report states that Liverpool have not been put off by that number, and they retain a very strong interest in Vuskovic as they plot their replacement plan for their iconic number 4.
A Horizontal Bar Chart Depicting Aerial duels won vs accurate passes per 90 Including Khusanov, Guéhi, Van de Ven, Van
Vuskovic is 'Perfect' for Iraola's System
Action Images via Reuters
One source told the Daily Briefing that the expectation is that Vuskovic will eventually leave Brighton for big money, and that Liverpool think he's perfect for Iraola's system.
“Brighton are realistic and pragmatic about this, they know, because it’s part of their whole strategy, that eventually Vuskovic is going to leave for big money,” one source said. “Liverpool view him as elite, and perfect to slot in to Andoni Iraola’s system.”
A player who is quick, strong, good on the ball, excellent in the air, and only 19 is usually a bit of a unicorn. But Liverpool already have Jacquet, who is also capable of doing all those things to a high level despite his age.
Pairing them together would see Liverpool have two of the best young defenders in the world together, with the possibility of building a formidable partnership for the next decade and beyond.
£90m is undoubtedly a huge fee, but in the long run it could be worthwhile. Buying cheap often leads to buying twice, and this could be Liverpool's way to avoid that, just as they did when they spent big on Van Dijk back in 2018.
Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola during training
Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola during training
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Liverpool Have Already Found Long-Term Van Dijk Replacement in Ifeanyi Ndukwe