Spanish media have made a bold claim about Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk ahead of the Champions League clash with Real Madrid.
On Tuesday night, Anfield will host one of the biggest matches in European football, as Liverpool welcome historic rivals Real Madrid to Merseyside.
The fixture comes at a time when, for the first time in his Liverpool career, Arne Slot is facing some pressure regarding his future given his side's recent disastrous form.
It will also see the controversial return of Trent Alexander-Arnold after the boyhood Liverpool fan left the Reds to join Real Madrid for £10million in late May, ahead of his contract expiring a month later.
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But before the game kicks off, a major Spanish publication has released a major report about Liverpool captain Van Dijk.
Throughout most of last season, there were serious doubts regarding the future of Van Dijk ahead of his contract expiring at the end of the campaign.
After months of negotiations and reports suggesting he could leave Liverpool, the Dutchman accepted Liverpool's contract renewal offer in April, extending his stay at the club until the summer of 2027.
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However, according to Spanish outlet AS, before doing so his agents contacted Spanish representatives to try and establish a direct connection with Real Madrid and potentially open a door to join the club in the summer.
The report claims that throughout the season, Van Dijk received offers from various clubs, with some offering enormous sums of money, like the one from Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal.
But Van Dijk was prepared to decline every single one of these offers, as he reportedly hoped that he would eventually be contacted by Real Madrid, something which never happened.
Each of the approaches that Van Dijk's team made were quickly rejected by the Real Madrid coaching staff, who instead decided to prioritise a younger centre back in Bournemouth's Dean Huijsen.
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It is also claimed that Van Dijk's anterior cruciate ligament injury in suffered in 2020, also played a part in Real Madrid's hesitance to move forward with a transfer.
But that hasn't stopped Real Madrid from looking at several other Liverpool players in recent months, with several key stars linked with a move to follow Alexander-Arnold Bernabeu.
Midfielder Alexis Mac Allister has been consistently linked with a move to the Spanish giants, while Van Dijk's centre-back partner Ibrahima Konate has been tipped to replace Antonio Rudiger next summer once both player's current contracts expire.
Topics: Liverpool, Real Madrid, Virgil Van Dijk, Champions League, Football, Trent Alexander-Arnold
Ben McCrum