Liverpool eye surprise Van Dijk replacement amid contract doubts

Liverpool are interested in Sam Beukema amid doubts over Virgil van Dijk‘s future, according to a report.

The Reds are planning for the years ahead and there is no guarantee that club captain Van Dijk will remain at Anfield beyond 2025. The Dutchman has confirmed that talks to extend his expiring contract are ongoing but the outcome is still up in the air.

Moreover, even if the centre-back signs fresh terms, he will turn 34 next year, which means that it is imperative for Liverpool to line up a potential long-term replacement either way.

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Indeed, signing a new centre-back has been on the agenda for at least two years but last season’s emergence of Jarrel Quansah alleviated the immediate need to bring in reinforcements.

Furthermore, as the pursuit of midfielder Martin Zubimendi showed this summer, the Reds will only move for players they feel can actually improve the side. They won’t sign players just to make up the numbers.

Liverpool eye Beukema

This, then, means that finding the right players can prove difficult because good defenders are expensive. Liverpool admire players like Goncalo Inacio of Sporting CP and Nottingham Forest star Murillo, but CaughtOffside claims that they have concerns about their price.

Instead, they could therefore target cheaper options such as Van Dijk’s compatriot Sam Beukema. The Bologna defender has impressed in Serie A and is close to breaking into the senior Dutch national team.

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It is asserted that Arne Slot previously wanted to sign the 26-year-old for his Feyenoord side, so he is well aware of his strengths and weaknesses.

Beukema currently has an Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) of €18.3 million, which would make him a bargain option compared to some of the more illustrious names that have recently been linked with Liverpool.