Virgil van Dijk is unsure about his long-term future in the aftermath of Jurgen Klopp’s impending exit from the club.
Jurgen Klopp’s decision to sell Philippe Coutinho for £140 million to Barcelona and then reinvest the money in Virgil van Dijk and Alisson Becker will be a story that will remain for many years to come. Those moves made Liverpool the club they are today and winning key titles along the way.
Van Dijk has since gone on to become one of the best centre-backs in the world, and one may naturally assume he arrived at the club as the manager. However, Klopp announcing his intention to quit the club after the season may have a rippling effect on the team and the futures of their critical stars, including the Liverpool fan-favourite.
Former midfielder Danny Murphy has predicted a collapse of sorts in the period after Klopp’s exit, and now Van Dijk has cast doubts over his long-term future at the club. The Dutchman’s comments appeared on Ben Jacob’s X account, where the defender insisted there would be a lot of changes ahead but remained unsure about the direction.
Van Dijk said, “That’s a big question. I don’t know. The club will have a big job on their hands, that’s well known. To replace not only the manager but the whole staff, and there are so many things that will change. I’m very curious which direction that will go in and when that will be announced we will see our situation.
“It will be the end of Jurgen Klopp’s era. I’m still part of it and that’s why I don’t like to talk about it, and [now] is my main focus.”
Like Van Dijk said, there will be a lot of changes happening at the club in the wake of Klopp’s departure. Alongside the German, a host of his current coaching staff members, including highly-rated assistant manager Pep Ljinders, will also depart.
Liverpool are considering appointing Xabi Alonso to replace Klopp, while others are linked with the job too, including Brighton’s Roberto De Zerbi. All eyes will be on the Merseyside club and their new incoming manager, who must fill Klopp’s massive shoes.
As for Van Dijk, the 32-year-old will enter the final year of his deal in the summer, which could also prompt Liverpool to consider offers if the defender wishes to leave. Losing the manager is already regarded as a big blow, but watching the Liverpool fan-favourite and others also depart would be a bitter end to a massive period in the club’s history.