Liverpool have had a busy summer this transfer window. It was not only the approximate £400m coming in or £200m going out, but renewals were also a big theme this summer.
Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold were prime targets for the club as the clock was running down on their contracts.
Trent Alexander-Arnold took his own separate route after spending two decades in Merseyside. The Englishman would have been a free transfer, but Xabi Alonso’s desperation saw him move to Real Madrid early.
Los Blancos paid £10m so that the full-back would join them on their FIFA Club World Cup campaign. Luckily for Liverpool fans, both Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk decided to stay for two more seasons at Anfield.
Salah signed a two-year extension on the 11th of April as he decided to keep playing in red till 2027. A few reports suggested that the Egyptian was offering himself to FC Barcelona, but financial constraints prevented the move from materialising.
Virgil van Dijk also penned down a two-year deal, 6 days later, still keeping him as one of the highest, if not the highest-paid defenders in Europe.
No direct transfer links were confirmed with the Dutchman, but there were reports of a possible MLS move. Nevertheless, Van Dijk needed some convincing with concrete plans for the defender to continue playing at Anfield.
Quiz: Name the team Liverpool signed these players from in the 2010s
Liverpool’s big summer was proof of the club’s ambition
Virgil van Dijk still goes strong at the age of 34 (Credits: Imago Images)
Virgil van Dijk made a few public comments regarding the transfer window before penning down a deal. Despite a Premier League title in Arne Slot’s first season as a manager, the defender didn’t seem happy with his transfer strategy.
“Whatever happens in terms of players going out, players coming in, I think it should be a big summer. I think they’re planning to make it a big summer, so we all have to trust the board, as a Liverpool-connected fan, to do the right job. I think Liverpool should be able to challenge for titles in the upcoming years”, said Van Dijk.
Slot’s new strategy to break records was probably one of the contributing factors that convinced the defender to stay at Anfield for two more seasons.
Liverpool signed 18-year-old Italian centre-back Giovanni Leoni, who might fill Van Dijk’s shoes in the coming years as the Dutchman approaches his mid-30s.
Despite Virgil still being one of the best defenders in world football at 34 years of age, there will be a time when Leoni will have to step up when the Dutchman leaves or retires from football.
