Virgil van Dijk 6-month ban claim issued as Liverpool ‘lucky’ over new contract
Liverpool have been branded “lucky” in managing to keep hold of captain Virgil van Dijk amid the threat he might “collude” with a rival as before.
Van Dijk put pen to paper on a new deal at Liverpool on Thursday (17 April), committing his future to the club for a further two years.
The 33-year-old has made 314 appearances in Merseyside since joining in January 2018, following controversy in the preceding months.
After a complaint from the Southampton over an “illegal” approach in the 2017 summer window, Liverpool were forced to issue a statement suggesting they had dropped their interest in the defender [The Guardian], before he ended up at Anfield months later in a £75million move [Sky Sports].
Following the news that Van Dijk has put an end to speculation he could leave Liverpool, talkSPORT pundit and ex-Crystal Palace chairman Jordan reacted to a lack of viable rivals ready to poach the Dutchman now, slamming the manner in which the Reds approached the player while playing at the Saints while suggesting that he should have then been “banned” for six months after signing.
Liverpool and Virgil van Dijk should have faced ‘more significant’ consequences
Speaking live on talkSPORT on Thursday (17 April), Jordan said: “He’s [Van Dijk] a very good player. I mean, they might watch him get old at Liverpool, and that might come with a consequence, but he looks after himself. He’s fit. He’s a leader.
“Whatever he may lack or lose in terms of physicality or pace during the course of the next two years, he’ll make up for being able to read the game. Liverpool are lucky to some extent that there wasn’t a bigger, better club that wanted him. Otherwise he might have done to Liverpool what he did to Southampton.”
Prompted to continue by Jim White on the 2017 controversy he added: “I think there’s a way to behave and I think he should have been consequenced far more significantly and so should Liverpool.
“I think the way that Liverpool and the player colluded to create an outcome I think they should have been made to pay for him at the time, and then he should have been banned for six months on Liverpool’s payroll.”
An important deal for Liverpool and Arne Slot
Football Insider Verdict
To get both Mohamed Salah and Van Dijk tied down to two-year extension’s represents excellent business for Liverpool and a statement ahead of next season.
Despite Arne Slot yet to fully put his mark onto the squad, in terms of signings, the 46-year-old will be delighted to know he can rely on two of their best players for the foreseeable.
The defenders presence at the heart of Liverpool‘s defence would prove a difficult task to replace and one which would take significant financial outlay.
With Liverpool two wins away from the title coinciding with ending the speculation surrounding perhaps their most important players, it will serve as a warning for rivals that they will be fighting on all fronts again next term.
The Reds may have got off lightly for their conduct in bringing Van Dijk up from the South coast years ago, and his subsequent success will have done nothing to make them regret how they went about things at the time, having ultimately got exactly what they wanted and more from the ex-Celtic star.