Virgil van Dijk signed a new deal with Liverpool some days ago, silencing any speculation about his future.
The centre-back, who has played 44 times in all competitions this season, stated after his renewal that he was always thinking about playing for the Reds and had no doubts about where his future might lie.
As the dust settles on his Liverpool renewal, there is an obvious debate about whether the Dutchman should’ve been handed a hefty wage in the new deal.
Former Netherlands international Bryan Roy has provided his take about Van Dijk and he believes that the 33-year-old has improved under Arne Slot.
He told Tuttomercatoweb: “His renewal is good news for Liverpool. After Maldini, Costacurta, Baresi and Tassotti, there haven’t been many defenders stronger in football up to now. Since Virgil started playing with Slot, if possible he has improved even more. Because with Arne he has found an organised style of football in a way that makes things much easier for him in possession, to play forward.”
Speaking further about what the Dutch star needs to do to cement his status, Roy said: “The same can be said for the national team, with Koeman. That’s why he has distanced himself from the other defenders. All he needs to win is the European Championship or the World Cup.”
Comparisons are always made to indicate how good Van Dijk is but it is also fair to say that players from different eras just can’t be compared.
Van Dijk’s impact at Liverpool was almost immediate at Anfield as their backline would struggle in the first half of the 2017/18 season.
Only time will tell if this is the right decision or not but keeping in mind how Liverpool will lose Trent Alexander-Arnold in the summer, they couldn’t afford to lose another key member of Arne Slot’s defence.
