Van Dijk makes Liverpool decision after Champions League and Carabao Cup failure

Virgil van Dijk’s decision over his future has been decided by Liverpool’s failure to win the Champions League, at least according to a bombshell report from Spain.

Van Dijk’s plans have been up in the air for several months as he is out of contract at the end of the season along with Mo Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Now it is claimed by Fichajes that he will elect to leave as a free agent with the disappointment of Champions League elimination to PSG and the Carabao Cup final loss to Newcastle leading the player to “look to new horizons”.

Van Dijk was spotted speaking to PSG officials following Liverpool’s elimination at Anfield and it is now claimed that he has set his sights on a move to Parc des Princes.

The Ligue 1 leaders see this as a “unique opportunity” to sign the 33-year-old, it is claimed.

Van Dijk to PSG would be a surprise move

Van Dijk’s story is unlikely to be quite as cut and dry as the report makes out.

Firstly, when he was speaking to PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi in the tunnel at Anfield, French reports indicated that there was no hint of transfer business in the chat. It was purely done out of respect for the player.

Secondly, Van Dijk’s profile is not someone that this version of PSG would necessarily chase. While he is clearly a top-class player, Les Parisiens are targeting younger players, ideally French, with sell-on value.

The Dutchman, though, might be considered an exception in this case due to his qualities and the fact there would be no transfer fee associated with the deal. He would arrive comparatively cheap.

PSG were stung when they signed Sergio Ramos from Real Madrid in a similar deal, with the Spaniard spending much of his two seasons in the French capital injured. Replicating that experience with Van Dijk, who admitted is much more physically robust than the Spaniard, is something they will be seeking to avoid.