Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk has decided to leave Anfield on a free transfer at the end of the season, according to reports.
The Reds are having a brilliant season in the Premier League with Slot guiding Liverpool to top spot in the table with only nine matches to play.
Liverpool were recently knocked out of the Champions League by Paris Saint-Germain, while they also lost the League Cup final to Newcastle before the international break.
As long as they get the Premier League title over the line, which would be hard not to from here, then Slot will have had an incredible first season as Liverpool boss.
Second-placed Arsenal are currently 12 points behind Liverpool in the Premier League table and only a monumental collapse would see them lose their grip on the title from here.
One issue that Slot has had to deal with consistently in his first season is the contract situations of key trio Van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Mohamed Salah.
All three Liverpool stars are out of contract at the end of the season and there has been little sign of any of the trio being close to signing a new deal to stay at Anfield.
And now Spanish website Fichajes insists that Liverpool captain Van Dijk ‘has decided to end his time’ at Anfield as ‘recent disappointments, such as elimination from the Champions League and defeat in the Carabao Cup final , have led Van Dijk to look to new horizons’.
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Van Dijk ‘feels it’s time for a change’ after ‘the lack of recent success has affected his motivation’ and a European giant ‘has already begun negotiations’ over a transfer.
The report adds:
‘The most talked-about destination in recent days is Paris Saint-Germain . The French giant, always on the lookout for quality reinforcements for its defense, has seen Van Dijk as a unique opportunity to sign him as a free agent.
‘Despite the competition for his signature, PSG is very interested in bringing the defender to the Parc des Princes, where he would be part of a high-level project.
‘With the possibility of a free transfer, the market for Van Dijk has skyrocketed, and several European clubs are in the running for his signature. However, PSG appears to have the upper hand, given their interest and the importance he has gained in recent days.’
Manchester United legend Gary Pallister thinks Van Dijk will go down amongst the best players the Premier League has ever seen.
Pallister said: “Virgil van Dijk is certainly in the conversation as being one of the Premier League’s best centre backs. When you look at Tony Adams, John Terry, Vincent Kompany, I think van Dijk is up there with that group. He’s a leader and an organiser, and he’s a wonderful defender.
“He’s come through some adversity as well with the cruciate ligament injury he suffered from a few seasons ago, which I wasn’t sure he’d bounce back from. He did struggle with that for a bit, but he’s certainly come back from that now and found his form again.
“I think it’s been the belief that his leg has healed properly and he now has the confidence to play on it properly again.
“He’s definitely in the mix for being one of the best in history, and at the moment I find it hard to believe Liverpool aren’t offering him a contract, because if they’re prepared to lose him then I think that opens the door for other teams.”