Liverpool star tipped to choose between Real Madrid and MLS if Anfield contract talks fail

Former Netherlands star Jaap Stam has backed his compatriot Virgil van Dijk to join Real Madrid or a Major League Soccer club if he does not extend his contract with Liverpool.

The Reds have allowed Van Dijk, Mo Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold to enter the final years of their respective contracts. Liverpool chiefs must act quickly to stop them from entering talks with rival teams from January 1 onwards, with a host of sides monitoring the situation.

Club captain Van Dijk appears the most likely to stay put at this stage, as talks between his camp and Liverpool have been progressing smoothly.

However, Liverpool fans will be worried until his new contract is formally announced.

Stam thinks the two parties will forge an agreement as it would be ‘extremely hard’ to replace a world-class defender such as Van Dijk.

Although, if talks stall, then Stam predicts Real Madrid and MLS teams to enter the frame.

“If Virgil van Dijk leaves Liverpool then I could see him playing for a few years in the United States to see out his career, earning a lot of money,” the former Manchester United defender told Sports Lens (via Goal).

“But I still see him as being a really important player at Liverpool and I can’t see why Liverpool wouldn’t try their best to keep him at the club because of that importance.

“I think he deserves a new contract and a new deal, maybe only for one season, and then you see where you go from there.

“You have to look at who would replace him in the transfer market or the academy but that’s extremely hard to do. It’s going to be very difficult to replace a player like Virgil and he deserves another one or two years, he’s shown he is still the best option for the club.”

Stam continued: “I could see Virgil van Dijk saying in Europe, but he is playing in a Liverpool team that he knows very well and they have a real balance.

“If he goes and joins another club he will have new team-mates and his whole situation will change. You can say that the players at Bayern Munich or PSG aren’t up to the level of his team-mates at Liverpool.

“The style of play will change and it could be a bad thing for his career to leave. Look at how it was for Lionel Messi when he first joined PSG from Barcelona.

“It’s going to be a very important decision for him and the club and I think that Real Madrid might be the only good option for him in Europe at the moment.”

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Van Dijk’s contract could be announced first

Madrid have previously been linked with the centre-back, though his age (33) works in Liverpool’s favour as the Spanish giants would rather sign a younger player who can future-proof their defence.

Van Dijk seems to be the easiest player for Liverpool to agree terms with. Salah has publicly revealed his frustration about how long it is taking Liverpool in negotiations, while Alexander-Arnold is flirting with a transfer to Madrid.

On Thursday, pundit Darren Bent claimed Van Dijk is the player he would tell: ‘You have to stay’. Bent predicted that Van Dijk and Salah will remain on Merseyside but Alexander-Arnold will try out a new challenge in La Liga with Madrid.

Liverpool transfers: Big hijack possible; forward eyes Anfield move

Meanwhile, Liverpool have been backed to cause Manchester United problems in their pursuit of Bayern Munich’s Alphonso Davies.

As per German journalist Christian Falk, Davies’ agent will travel to England to hold talks with interested clubs in the new year.

Liverpool are weighing up whether to schedule a meeting, having identified Davies as a possible solution to their left-back search.

Separate reports state Ademola Lookman is keen on joining Liverpool in the near future, despite his links with Everton.

Lookman has been named the African Player of the Year after a brilliant 2024 in which he helped Atalanta win the Europa League.

The forward told both Liverpool and Manchester City he was hoping to join them over the summer. While no move materialised, the two English giants could revisit the situation in 2025.

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