‘Arne Slot makes Virgil van Dijk plan’ as Liverpool line up new centre-back signing
Arne Slot is making plans for the long-term future of Virgil van Dijk in his back line as Liverpool get ready to sign a new centre-back in January.
That is according to former Man United and Blackburn chief scout Mick Brown, who remains very well-connected within the game, as he exclusively told Football Insider that Slot wants to move the 34-year-old over to the right side of the back four.
Van Dijk usually starts on the left, with Ibrahima Konate alongside him, but as the Reds aim to strengthen their back line, but changes are now on the horizon.
Football Insider revealed Liverpool want to sign a new centre-back in January and are assessing a number of options for the role, and a clear trend is emerging.
Liverpool are targeting a number of left-sided defenders, notably including Marc Guehi and Alessandro Bastoni, while they have also been linked to Nico Schlotterbeck.
Arne Slot makes Virgil van Dijk plan at Liverpool
Brown told Football Insider on 23 October that Liverpool are concerned about Van Dijk’s performances in what has been a disappointing season so far.
The former scout, who has a wealth of experience in top-level player recruitment after over a decade at Man United during their most successful period, insisted the Reds’ transfer activity suggests Slot has a new plan for his captain.
“Liverpool are talking about a lot of left-sided defenders,” he told Football Insider.
“Van Dijk plays on that left-hand side, usually with Konate on the right, and that’s the way that back line has set up since the manager arrived last year.
“It looks to me like he wants to shift Van Dijk over to the right side of the defence.
“I think playing on the left suits him, coming on to things inside on his stronger foot, but the manager may well see things differently.
“Bastoni is very left-sided, Marc Guehi plays on the left for Crystal Palace and for England, and we’ve spoken about other options there too.
“So if Konate is leaving, it looks like Van Dijk could be shifted over, with a new signing coming into that position instead of on the right.”
Liverpool could step up efforts to sign Alessandro Bastoni
Brown told Football Insider on 23 December that Liverpool could step up efforts to sign Bastoni to strengthen their defence in the January transfer window.
The Reds have been keeping tabs on the 26-year-old’s performances for Inter Milan and believe he would be a top option if they could land him.
Slot is concerned about his current options, with Konate‘s future up in the air and Van Dijk suffering from a loss of form so far this season.
Football Insider revealed last month that Liverpool are interested in Bastoni, but would have to pay over £80million to land a mid-season deal, leading to uncertainty.
Meanwhile, they are not the only European giant keeping tabs on him with Barcelona strongly linked with a move for the Italy international in January.
For more Liverpool and exclusive news, follow us on Facebook or join our brand new WhatsApp Channel for instant updates to be sent straight to your phone.