Van Dijk to Dortmund? Liverpool captain sparks transfer rumours

Robin Bairner

• 29 Apr 2024 11:45 BST
• 3 min read

Virgil van Dijk has sparked rumours that he could leave Liverpool for Dortmund this summer, with fans of the Champions League semi-finalists already getting excited about the unlikely deal, with Jadon Sancho playing an unwitting part in the drama.

Out of contract in 2025, the central defensive colossus has been tipped to leave Anfield after more than six years at the club.

Along with Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold, Van Dijk is one of a number of key players whose futures have been thrown into the air by the decision of Jurgen Klopp to step down from his position as Liverpool manager at the end of the season.

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Aged 32, this could be Van Dijk’s final opportunity to play in one of Europe’s other Big 5 leagues and there is a strong suggestion that the Dutchman might find himself in Dortmund.

These improbable rumours have been sparked as the centre-back follows a flurry of Dortmund players on Instagram.

Donyell Malen, Emre Can and Mats Hummels are three stars already in Edin Terzic’s side permanently now followed by Van Dijk, who is also tracking loan stars Ian Maatsen and Jadon Sancho, both of whom could move to BVB permanently in the summer from Chelsea and Manchester United respectively.

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One Dortmund fans took to X to question:

“Virgil, I have 3 questions:

What do you want?

What do you need for that?

What can I expect?”

Could Van Dijk really move to Dortmund?

Although Van Dijk is only 12 months away from the end of his Liverpool deal and may, therefore, be available at a cheaper price than expected, the prospect of him moving to Dortmund remains slim.

BVB, after all, are struggling to fund a move for Sancho, despite their run to the semi-finals of the Champions League, in which they will face PSG.

Wages are a big part of the reason the Bundesliga side cannot guarantee the England international a permanent part on their roster. Similarly, the Liverpool veteran commands an enormous salary of around €260,000 per week.

Van Dijk would have to take a massive pay cut for this to happen, while Dortmund would also likely need to give up signing both Maatsen and Sancho before this deal even becomes conceivable.