Liverpool set for talks with 'the next Virgil van Dijk': report

Liverpool are already planning for the future with Virgil Van Dijk's replacement

Posted Thursday, December 07, 2023 by fourfourtwo.com

Liverpool will open talks to sign Virgil Van Dijk's replacement in January, as they look to revitalise their defence.

Virgil Van Dijk is still going strong at Liverpool after becoming club captain in the summer, helping the Reds to three clean sheets in the Premier League this term.

But at 32, the Dutch centre-back is approaching the twilight of his career - and Jurgen Klopp wants to add a younger alternative to the squad in January to learn from the Anfield stalwart.

As reported by 90min, Liverpool are set to open talks with Lucas Beraldo, who currently plies his trade with Sao Paulo in Brazil.

The 20-year-old is seen as the long-term successor to Van Dijk, according to the report, and Sao Paulo are now set to listen to offers for Beraldo. General manager Rui Costa accepts that the centre-back's future lies elsewhere, despite his contract running until 2027.

"They are boys with very good minds, who know that the moment will come [to leave]. We'll always talk to the agent and the player," he told Globoesporte.

"We ended up renewing Beraldo's contract until 2027. We will negotiate with each of them if the offer is good for everyone. But I have never faced pressure from these boys. Quite the opposite."

A left-footed defender, Beraldo also offers a unique solution to Liverpool's backline. Currently, Jurgen Klopp has four right-footed centre-backs, meaning Van Dijk operates from the left. There's an increasing trend among teams to play defenders on their natural side, though, and Beraldo could be the perfect option to help the Reds.

Since breaking into the Sao Paulo first team in 2022, a number of European sides have been tracking Beraldo. In fact, Wolves even had an offer rejected in the summer transfer window, with Beraldo also a target for Bayern Munich and Monaco, too.