How Virgil van Dijk went to the next level under Arne Slot - and why Liverpool's aquacycling leader wants to stay
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Let's begin with a couple of debates for the dinner table while you are polishing off the last of the turkey butties and other Christmas leftovers this weekend. Is Virgil van Dijk in the best form of his career? And where does he stand in the pantheon of great Premier League defenders?.
At 33, many would surmise he is as good – if not better – than his supposed peak in Liverpool’s title win of 2019-20. With the Reds now pulling clear of the contenders and pretenders in the battle for supremacy this year, the argument is gaining significant weight.
There is an elephant that follows Van Dijk around the room in every debate and that is his contract, which expires at the end of this season. We will discuss that in due course but, for now, Liverpool fans are enjoying their captain being back to his very best level.
Friday marked seven years of Van Dijk at Liverpool, after his £75million move from Southampton. A brief trawl through the archives showed the usual suspects of armchair pundits calling it a rip-off. It is easy with hindsight but, looking back, £75m for a man of this stature represents an almighty steal. Even though he is on the wrong side of 30, name a defender in the world who brings what Van Dijk does to this Liverpool side.
Virgil van Dijk has been in imperious form for Liverpool who have a commanding lead in the Premier League title race. The Dutchman was virtually unbeatable during the Reds' march to the title in 2020. His form saw him narrowly miss out on the Ballon d'Or and claim the best player in Europe award.