Fabrizio Romano verifies Van Dijk contract claims as Liverpool target long-term heir

Liverpool continue to hold talks with Virgil van Dijk’s entourage over a new deal at Anfield amid optimism that a new deal will soon be agreed, though the Reds are being linked strongly with a star well-known to Arne Slot as a would-be replacement.

While Liverpool’s campaign hit a severe bump in the road on Sunday as a much-weakened side succumbed to a 1-0 FA Cup fourth-round exit at Championship strugglers Plymouth, Slot’s side can still win three trophies this season – with the first of those on the line on March 16 when they tackle Newcastle in the Carabao Cup final. Liverpool also have a six-point lead at the top of the Premier League and also enter the last 16 of the Champions League as one of eight seeded sides after finishing top in the group phase.

Despite their relative success so far, a dark cloud continues to hover over Merseyside with all of Van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Mo Salah all out of contract at the season’s end and currently free to leave on July 1.

And fears of all three leaving Anfield this summer escalated over the weekend after Paul Merson two reasons why he expects all three to depart.

Despite that, Liverpool have not given up the ghost and after Van Dijk’s agent was spotted sitting next to sporting director Richard Hughes at Anfield on Thursday, hopes have been rekindled of an announcement on his future soon.

Confirming it was indeed his agent, Fabrizio Romano told his YouTube channel: “Something to say on Virgil van Dijk. It’s true that the agents of Virgil van Dijk were sitting next to director of football at Liverpool, Richard Hughes, for the game against Tottenham.

“So, there is still a very good conversation, a very good relationship, between Liverpool and the agents of Van Dijk.”

Despite hope remaining on tying the captain to an extended stay at Anfield, Liverpool know that at the age of 33, he won’t be able to continue operating at the highest level forever.

As a result, Caught Offside reports that scouts from Anfield have been paying close attention to Feyenoord’s David Hancko as a would-be target THIS summer.

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Hancko contract situation and chances of Liverpool move explained

The 27-year-old centre-half is a player well known to Slot having made 93 appearances under the current Liverpool boss during their time together in Rotterdam.

Information received by Rudy Galetti for TEAMtalk said Hancko was a player being monitored by both Chelsea and Tottenham ahead of the recently closed winter window, though the new report on Caught Offside claims it is now Liverpool who have moved into pole position to sign Hancko should Van Dijk decide to leave.

However, our transfer correspondent Fraser Fletcher is adamant the Reds will look to sign a new defender this summer regardless of whether Van Dijk stays or not and there is a strong push to bring in another alongside the experienced Dutchman to aid that transition in the years ahead.

In Caught Offside‘s words, Hancko is nearing the end of his contract, but we can confirm his deal at De Kuip does not expire until summer 2028 and that while Feyenoord are keen to extend his stay, it is not seen as a priority for the Eredivisie giants right now.

And per Galetti, a deal to prise him from Feyenoord will not come cheap with the 48-times capped Slovakia international valued at €50m (£41.4m, $52m) this summer. Such an offer, though, would convince Feyenoord to sell.

As stated, though, Liverpool’s priority will be to nail down Van Dijk to a new deal, with the player’s brilliance this season exposed by his absence from the side who saw their FA Cup adventure ended disappointingly.

In the meantime, Van Dijk has said very little about his future in recent weeks, though did recently deny his fate has already been sealed following Thursday’s 4-0 demolition job of Tottenham in the Carabao Cup semi-finals, telling the BBC: “What the future brings I have no idea. Anybody who says they know it – they are wrong.”

Liverpool transfer latest: Triple attacking change; Carra’s Szoboszlai doubts

Should Van Dijk depart Anfield this summer, he would not be short of suitors and a new report on Sunday suggested Barcelona were ready to sell Ronald Araujo for the best price possible to make room in their ranks for the free-transfer capture of the Reds captain.

Van Dijk is not the only Dutch star who could be on the move between the two clubs either if fanciful reports in Spain are to be believed either, amid claims that Frenkie De Jong has had a ‘bombshell’ transfer to Anfield green-lit, with his asking price also coming to light.

Meanwhile, Slot has reportedly cleared the way for Darwin Nunez to leave Anfield this summer with the Uruguayan star strongly linked with a move to Saudi Arabia.

However, an alarming new report claims he is not the only attacking star Slot is ready to move on amid claims via Anfield Watch that patience is starting to run out with two Anfield regulars.

Elsewhere, Jamie Carragher has also called the future of Dominik Szoboszlai into question, having named the controversial Premier League star he believes would be a good replacement for the Hungarian in the starting line-up and amid question marks from the pundit that the former RB Leipzig man does not contribute enough in front of goal.

Hancko thrived under Slot last season