It has already been confirmed that talismanic forward Mohamed Salah will leave Anfield at the end of the 2025-26 season, with the fanbase shocked following recent reports that club captain Virgil van Dijk is seriously considering leaving the club himself.
With Salah leaving and Andy Robertson also announcing his departure from the club, another iconic Liverpool player, Alisson Becker, has also been constantly linked with a move away.
A separation has now begun over the future of club captain Van Dijk, with the possibility of him leaving Liverpool after his brilliant performance at Anfield.
Virgil van Dijk assesses Liverpool’s future
According to Turkish outlet Fotomac, the Dutch giants are assessing their future and could trigger a complete dismantling of the historic core of players who brought the Reds Champions League and Premier League glory.
The 34-year-old, who turns 35 this summer, signed a contract extension in April last year that ties him to the club until 2027.
However, the aggressive restructuring initiated by the Reds’ sporting community appears to have led the captain to assess his place in Arne Slott’s long-term vision.
The club are actively working to renew Ibrahima Konate’s contract and have invested heavily in young players, including winter signing Jeremy Jacquet and the future integration of Giovanni Leoni.
Prominent scouts are also monitoring European standouts such as Inter Milan’s Alessandro Bastoni and Borussia Dortmund’s Nico Schlotterbeck, and it is becoming increasingly clear that Liverpool are accelerating preparations for a post-van Dijk reality.
Recognizing this change, Van Dijk may feel that stepping down now is the most dignified way to close the chapter on his legendary Premier League run.
| Competition/Trophy | title | Season/win year |
| premier league | 2 | 2019-20, 2024-25 |
| EFL Cup (Carabao Cup) | 2 | 2021–22, 2023–24 |
| UEFA Champions League | 1 | 2018–19 |
| FA Cup | 1 | 2021–22 |
| fifa club world cup | 1 | 2019 |
| UEFA Super Cup | 1 | 2019 |
| FA Community Shield | 1 | 2022 |
The Dutchman was a pillar of the Merseyside club.
Van Dijk has been the undisputed cornerstone of Liverpool’s backline this season, starting all 35 Premier League games, playing over 3,150 minutes and scoring four goals.
His leadership role has been praised despite the club’s poor performance.
Van Dijk will first focus on leading the Netherlands to the 2026 World Cup in North America as captain before making a final decision on the club’s future.
For Anfield fans, the summer of 2026 is shaping up to be a time of emotional and fundamental reset.
Arne Slott, or whoever takes over as Liverpool manager this summer, will have a busy transfer window, not only to sign new players and rebuild the squad, but also to lay the foundations for the next successful Liverpool team.
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