Virgil van Dijk has shared his excitement at what he believes will be a very “ambitious” summer for Liverpool in the transfer window.
The Reds have made just one senior addition in the last three windows and Arne Slot has all but won the Premier League with the squad he inherited from Jurgen Klopp last summer. Only one signing was made ahead of Slot’s first season, with Federico Chiesa arriving from Juventus, but the Italian has not started a single league match since joining the Reds.
Therefore there’s a sense that significant movement in the window could be afoot this summer as Slot sets about creating his ideal squad. That performances have slowly dropped and several deficiencies have been identified in the group over the last few months have heightened that feeling.
Van Dijk revealed earlier this month that he is expecting a “big summer”, comments he reiterated ahead of Sunday’s potential title-decider against Tottenham Hotspur.
“In my opinion, the story is not yet finished,” the Liverpool skipper told Dutch outlet AD. “The club is very ambitious, the plans for this summer sound good. There is still a lot to achieve here.
“Whatever is going to happen with players coming or leaving, I think this is going to be a very important summer for the club. I am convinced that the club management see it that way too – and we have to trust that they are going to do that in a good way, so that we can also play for prizes in the coming years.”
(Image: Getty Images)
After signing a new contract and committing to Liverpool for another two years, Van Dijk is clearly thinking of the future. He evidently trusts the leadership group of Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes, along with Slot as head coach.
“Arne is doing a great job. Klopp was – and is – a legend at this club, but the new coach has added some new touches in his own way, without immediately turning everything upside down,” said the former Southampton man
“Next summer will actually be the first transfer window in which Arne can really make his own choices. That combination of things makes me really confident about the next two years.”
The defender, who has made 315 appearances for Liverpool, has played every single minute of the Premier League campaign so far and is on course to become the first-ever player to do that in two title-winning seasons.
