The departure of Dutch defender Virgil van Dijk is in the air. Although his contract with Liverpool is still in place, he has not found an end point and negotiations have turned into a protracted battle, with h unknown whether he will remain at Anfield next season.
Both the club and the player want to stay, so it is likely that a deal will eventually be reached, but it is time to start working on securing a successor for the veteran centre-back, who will be 34 years old this July.
French defender Ibtihlama Konate has won the trust of coach Arne Slott and secured a place as Van Dijk’s partner, while Jarell Quansah still has a way to go and Joe Gomez has struggled to break his injury habit.
A defensive leader is not set in stone if the team captain leaves, and the minimum requirement is a centre-back with the prospect of leadership on the final line. And that list includes Bournemouth defender Dean Huijsen.
CaughtOffside reported that Liverpool have already started negotiations and are expected to make an offer of between €30m and €35m. Bournemouth have also moved to offer a new contract.
Jose Mourinho, who had a brief spell in charge and player at AS Roma, where he spent six months last season, praised him as one of the most high-quality prospects in European football of his generation and said he was on course for a brilliant career.
Apart from Liverpool, the departure of the 19-year-old centre-back should be a dizzying prospect, with North Londoners Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur, as well as Real Madrid, Newcastle United and Bayern Munich, all said to be interested.
Despite being in the Premier League for the first time, the young defender has grabbed a regular place at Bournemouth and has been on the pitch for 26 games through the domestic league and FA Cup. He has shown his talent in spades, and it is inevitable that strong clubs will take notice.
Will the Dutch centre-back, who reportedly has a release clause of as much as £50 million, start his new career at a new club next season…?