Paul Merson has stated that Liverpool could be in serious jeopardy due to continuous speculations about one of their great players.
The Reds’ summer transfer season has been rather calm, with no major signings and only Thiago Alcantara, Joel Matip, and Adrian leaving at the conclusion of their contracts.
While there have been ties to players such as Nico Williams, Liverpool has been quiet in terms of new arrivals, but one crucial player is now being connected with a move away from Anfield, namely Saudi Arabia.
Merson believes the possible deal might be terrible for Liverpool.
Merson feels Virgil van Dijk’s departure from Liverpool would be a significant blow.
Speaking on Football’s Greatest, the expert stated that Liverpool moving Virgil van Dijk would be a terrible mistake, with the defender being linked with a move to Saudi Arabia.
With one year left on his contract, selling Van Dijk could be a financially sensible option for Liverpool, but replacing the defender may be nearly difficult if the deal goes through.
When asked if Liverpool would be in difficulty if Van Dijk departed, Merson responded: “Oh, end of, end of.” Rolls-Royce, the defender’s Rolls-Royce. A phenomenal defender. They would have lost against Turkey if he hadn’t played. I thought he was excellent that day. He was up against it.
“The guy playing against him was a handful. He’s a Rolls Royce. If he left, it would be like Arsenal. If Arsenal lost Saliba, who I believe was the tournament’s best defender, I would say they had no chance. “No chance.”
Liverpool would be crazy to sell Van Dijk this summer.
Van Dijk is one of the finest defenders in the world, and the Liverpool captain must work closely with new manager Arne Slot if the Dutch coach is to succeed in his new role.
Although a £50 million offer for a 33-year-old defender with one year left on his contract sounds appealing, Van Dijk is too important to Liverpool for such a proposal to be considered.
As we all know, Liverpool would struggle to replace a player of Van Dijk’s caliber and status, therefore the Reds must do everything they can to keep the defender at Anfield this summer.