Barcelona are exploring the prospect of landing Virgil van Dijk at the Camp Nou as they seek to replace Samuel Umtiti and bring in a successor for Gerard Pique.
Barcelona defender Samuel Umtiti is expected to leave the club in 2020 after struggling with fitness and ultimately playing time. The former Lyon doesn’t have a set or rumoured destination as yet, but he would probably be on the move and that is a big blow for the Catalans who considered Umtiti as a major part of their projects in the future.
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The France international’s departure would leave Ernesto Valverde’s side with only two experienced central defenders in the roster- Gerard Pique and Clement Lenglet. Gerard Pique has shown signs of slowing down in recent months and it’s no secret that the Blaugrana need to start scouting for replacements for their colossal figure.
Diario GOL has reported that Liverpool superstar Virgil van Dijk is on the shopping list of the defending La Liga champions. The Netherlands international was inarguably the best player of his position in this calendar year and having had a blockbuster campaign with his club and country, van Dijk was on the Ballon d’Or podium alongside Messi and Ronaldo.
Liverpool are expected to do their all to hold onto Virgil van Dijk but the Reds’ relent may be broken due to Barca’s prestige and offerings. The Catalans will reportedly be willing to sacrifice World Cup winner Antoine Griezmann in return of Virgil van Dijk and are even likely to pay as much as 100 million euros in cash for the former Southampton star.
Virgil van Dijk is a loved and senior figure at the Anfield, so it is difficult to see him leaving the club. But should Jurgen Klopp’s side win the Premier League this season, van Dijk would have completed a major challenge in England and would not mind moving to the Camp Nou in order to ply his trade and expand his collection of trophies and medals.
Offering such kind of money as well as a player in exchange for a central defender would be absolutely ridiculous from Barca’s point of view. Moreover, as things have panned out this season, van Dijk is not what he was last season despite Liverpool potentially running away with the Premier League, so his move must be reconsidered by the club.
By looking at his most recent performances, how much do you think van Dijk is worth?