Top transfer insider is CLUELESS about Liverpool - Sam McGuire

It is incredible how in 2024 we’ve still got journalists writing about things they have no real clue about. This extends beyond football, of course. It is all about faking it till you make it.

But Christian Falk should know better by now. The German journalist has been around for a while. He’s amassed a huge following and is a bit of a transfer guru for all things in the Bundesliga.

READ MORE: Mo Salah BOMBSHELL as Liverpool contract talks FAIL

He recently veered into a new lane though. He might’ve been doing this for a while but it has only just come to my attention. In a feature for CaughtOffside, ironically named Christian Falk Fact Files, there was a section covering Virgil van Dijk.

It was nothing but opinion. No facts in sight.

Falk: Van Dijk too old and slow

“Sorry about Virgil van Dijk," he wrote. "I’m a big fan of him but he’s too old for Bayern Munich at the moment, as they’re trying to construct a very complex defence with Dayot Upamecano and Kim Min-jae. They need fast players, which is why they sold Matthijs de Ligt to Manchester United.

“I think Virgil van Dijk doesn’t have this speed and kind of defending for this really high back four.

"I’m really sorry about this, as I’d love to see him in the Bundesliga, but at this point, I think Bayern Munich would be the only club in the Bundesliga that could afford his wages (and where he’d like to go), so I see no future for him in the German top-flight. He’s a player who could fit perfectly for many clubs in Italy’s Serie A, but the door is closed for him in Germany.”

Who is Falk kidding with this nonsense?

Now, I’m relieved he’s seemingly not a target for Bayern Munich as I’m hoping he extends his stay on Merseyside beyond this season. The fewer the interested clubs, the easier it might be to tie the captain down to a new deal.

But who does Falk think he’s kidding when he’s writing such nonsense?

Firstly, how exactly are Bayern constructing a ‘very complex defence’ when Upamecano is involved? The only complex thing about the French centre-back is the brainpower required to figure out how he’s viewed as a top-class defender.

The 26-year-old is reactive. He’s instinctive. He definitely had Dejan Lovren posters on his wall when growing up.

Upamecano isn’t a thinking man’s defender. He’s a brute who relies on physical traits to play at this level, and even then, there’s often a bullseye on his back.

Van Dijk quicker than Kim and Upa

Then Falk claims Van Dijk isn’t quick enough to play in a high defensive line. Odd when you consider how high Liverpool’s defensive line can be and has been over recent years. Even odder when you see the top speeds clocked by the likes of Van Dijk, Upamecano and Kim Min-jae this term.

Per the UEFA website, the Dutchman’s top speed of almost 35 km/h cannot be bettered or even matched. Kim’s top speed in Europe is 34.07km/h while the former RB Leipzig man has posted a top speed of 34.2km/h.

Van Dijk is the quickest of the three players.

He has experience of playing in the highest of high lines having done it for Jurgen Klopp’s all-conquering Liverpool side. The skipper may be 33 but he’s arguably been the best defender in the Premier League this season. A league that is comfortably more physically rigorous than the Bundesliga.

The facts MOCK Falk's claims

Timo Werner said as much when he moved from RB Leipzig to Chelsea.

In an interview with Kicker, the German forward said: “At the beginning, I had this self-image that I can go on doing my thing here, but in the last few months I have been brought down to earth. It’s the way in England that you never have a quiet game. The players are 1.9 meters tall, brutal physically and really fast – including the defenders. It’s impressive what intensity is going on in the Premier League.”

Liverpool’s No4 is bossing the Premier League. He’s still physically dominant. He’s one of the key reasons why Arne Slot’s side have the best defensive record in the English top flight. The ex-Southampton man has won 72% of his aerial duels this term, a key trait for any defender, especially one playing in a high defensive line.

For comparison, Kim has won 67% of his aerial duels in the Bundesliga while Upamecano is winning 59%. So, Van Dijk is quicker, more physical and, well, just better than the players Bayern currently have at their disposal.

The actual facts make a mockery of Falk’s claims.

READ MORE: Top journalist claims DOOR IS CLOSED for Virgil van Dijk