Liverpool ready to STEAL club's captain to replace Virgil van Dijk

Liverpool are lining up a major transfer to replace Virgil van Dijk this summer, according to reports. Can they get it done?

How do you replace Virgil van Dijk? You don't.

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That's the blunt answer. Liverpool will not have Van Dijk's defensive abilities at some point, be it through decline or him leaving the club.

And when that happens, the team gets worse. There's no way around that - it's how it works with world-leading players.

Van Dijk has been arguably the greatest centre-back in Liverpool's history and only Alan Hansen truly rivals him for that honour. The Reds had to wait 30 years between their two peaks and they may well have to do that again.

But again, this is just the nature of having players as good as Van Dijk. Liverpool will go through the same thing with Mo Salah and Alisson Becker.

Even Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold - their replacements, whenever they come, will almost certainly not be as good as those two were at their peaks.

Van Dijk, though, is something else. He's been the best centre-back on the planet for a while now and Liverpool face one hell of a task in finding someone to take his spot who doesn't downgrade the team too much.

They might need to do that this summer if Van Dijk doesn't renew his contract. Anfield Watch does still believe he's staying, though.

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Nico Schlotterbeck to join?

Bild's Christian Falk understands that Liverpool would like to sign Nico Schlotterbeck from Borussia Dortmund. The centre-back, who has a contract for two more years, 'could be the successor of Virgil van Dijk'.

This is an interesting one. Schlotterbeck isn't exactly being made available by Dortmund but this is also the final year in which they could sell for a decent price.

In 2026, he'll have one year remaining - and that almost certainly means a cut-price sale. Dortmund, then, are trying to get him to renew.

Ruhr Nacht Richten claim part of that deal is to be giving Schlotterbeck the captaincy. The club will try to rebuild in the summer after a disappointing season.

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But that disappointing season is why Liverpool have a real chance of stealing Schlotterbeck. The player is apparently frustrated, while Dortmund need cash to make up for a lack of European football.

If he won't renew, Liverpool can put a lot of pressure on them to sell. That would secure them Schlotterbeck - Dortmund's captain-elect - and the long-term successor to Van Dijk

That's a lot of pressure to put on a player, of course, but it appears the Reds feel Schlotterbeck can handle it. Let's see what happens - because there are a lot of moving parts here.

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