Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk’s form and future has been discussed by Reds manager Arne Slot and Netherlands legend Ruud Gullit ahead of the visit of Manchester City to Anfield
Liverpool have the chance to secure consecutive Premier League victories this weekend for the first time since December.
The Reds claimed their first league triumph of 2026 last Saturday with a commanding 4-1 victory over Newcastle United. Returning to Anfield on Sunday, Arne Slot’s men face Manchester City in a fixture that could prove pivotal in their pursuit of Champions League qualification next season.
Amid their defensive injury woes, Liverpool supporters received some welcome news on Thursday when Slot confirmed that Joe Gomez might feature in Sunday’s encounter as he continues his recovery from a hip problem. The Reds are anticipated to deploy their preferred centre-back partnership of Ibrahima Konate and Virgil van Dijk against City, with the latter’s future being discussed. Here’s all the latest news from Anfield.
JOIN US ON FB! Get all the best sports news and much more on our Facebook page
Van Dijk’s future
It was during the middle of last year’s campaign when Van Dijk penned a two-year contract extension to stay at Anfield.
With 16 months remaining on his agreement, the Reds recognise that eventually, a succession plan must be finalised to smooth the transition following the iconic defender’s departure.
The club have certainly laid solid groundwork with the acquisition of Giovanni Leoni last season and Jeremy Jacquet earlier this week. Liverpool also secured teenage defenders Mor Talla Ndiaye and Ifeanyi Ndukwe during the winter transfer window to strengthen their defensive options for years to come, reports the Mirror.
Nevertheless, Slot hinted in Thursday’s pre-match press conference that Van Dijk might well stay at Anfield beyond his contract’s expiration next summer. Speaking about Liverpool’s future planning, Slot remarked: “You are longer here than I am so if I tell you they do everything with a reason you are not surprised.
“We never panic, it’s always long term and thought about for a long time and not by just one person. We know Virgil won’t play for 10 years but he has a year left, maybe longer at us, he stays fit and what a compliment that is to him he can play every three days.
“Hopefully he can stay fit for multiple years but this club is not stupid. We do know somewhere in the upcoming years there is life after Virgil but that is for every position. We don’t think about short-term only, it is mid to long as well.”
‘Strange errors’ criticism
The Reds skipper has unusually committed several blunders this season, though only one of his mistakes has directly resulted in a Premier League goal, according to StatMuse.
Despite this, it’s been a substandard campaign for Van Dijk, who has been held responsible for Liverpool’s underwhelming season by football legend Ruud Gullit.
The Dutch football legend, who clinched the Ballon d’Or in 1987, has called on his fellow countryman to up his game, confessing that he’s seen errors from the defender that are uncharacteristic. “I have been critical of Virgil van Dijk several times, because he’s the Liverpool captain,” Gullit shared with Gambling Insider.
He continued: “Put it this way, if there is an orchestra where the violinist is not performing well, I’m not going to scream at the violinist, I’m going to be pointing the finger at the director. He is in front of his performers and is responsible for when something goes wrong.
“I rate Van Dijk very highly, but he has made a lot of mistakes this season, with a lot of strange errors like the handball against PSV Eindhoven and the miskick at Bournemouth. These are things that I’ve never seen before from him.
“I really hope that Van Dijk sees and addresses these errors, knows that he has not been playing well, and can return to his best soon.”