Major European club considering move for Virgil van Dijk as Liverpool risk losing captain for free

A huge European club is considering the prospect of signing Liverpool skipper Virgil van Dijk as the prospect of the central defender moving on to pastures new next summer begins to raise its head.

The 35-year-old Dutch international defender has been a revelation at Anfield since arriving at Liverpool in January 2018 from Southampton for a transfer fee of £75m.

Since then, Van Dijk has racked up a total of 383 appearances for the red half of Merseyside and found the back of the net of 36 occasions, becoming one of the final pieces in the jigsaw for Liverpool as they embarked upon an era of success under Jurgen Klopp.

In 2025, Van Dijk signed a two-year contract extension at Liverpool, but there is now fewer than 12 months remaining on that deal and, as things stand, the Dutchman can walk away from Andoni Iraola's outfit on a free transfer next summer.

Question marks over future next summer

Van Dijk has won two Premier League titles, the Champions League, the FA Cup, two League Cups, the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup during his time at Anfield and has become a modern-day great with the club.

The Netherlands international - who has 100 caps for his country and has scored 14 goals for the Oranje - penned fresh terms at Liverpool in 2025 around the same time as fellow Anfield legend Mo Salah.

However, the latter departed Liverpool over the summer a year before his deal was due to end following a deterioration of his relationship with then-Liverpool boss Arne Slot, and the Egyptian has since moved to Turkish side Trabzonspor.

Van Dijk's Liverpool deal is due to expire at the end of next June, not long before he turns 36.

From January if no new deal is agreed, he will be able to sign a pre-contract agreement with teams outside of England to line up a move abroad next summer for free.

Barcelona 'considering' partnering Van Dijk with Pau Cubarsi next season

A club that could take advantage of this position is Catalan giants Barcelona, who are reportedly considering bringing Van Dijk to La Liga.

According to Catalan publication El Nacional, the Liverpool skipper is one of the options that Hansi Flick's outfit are weighing up as a partner to teenage sensation Pau Cubarsi, who has emerged as one of the latest La Masia graduates to slot straight into the Barca first team.

The report suggests that Van Dijk would be an experienced head for Cubarsi - who was part of Spain victorious World Cup squad over the summer - to learn from and that any possible stay at the Camp Nou would not be a long-term one.

It reads: "For Hansi Flick, the profile would make sense given the player's characteristics and experience.

"Cubarsi is already prepared to lead the Barcelona defence, but the club continues to search for a centre-back who can complement him and help him continue developing as he has been.

"Van Dijk would bring something different. His experience in top-level matches, aerial dominance, and ability to organize a high defensive line would relieve Cubarsi of some responsibility at a time when he lacks a reliable partner at Barca."

A potential obstacle to the deal would be Van Dijk's wages, given that he remains among the best paid players at Liverpool.

Therefore, it is suggested that the Dutchman could be a short-term fix for next season while Barcelona consider to look in the market for a long-term partner for Cubarsi.

The report adds: "Barcelona's plan is not to build their future around the Dutchman. At 36 years old next season, any potential signing would have to be considered a short-term deal, probably for one year, and heavily dependent on his salary demands.

"That's precisely where the main obstacle lies. Van Dijk continues to have one of the highest salaries in the Liverpool squad , with terms that are difficult for Barca to accept unless they agree to a significant pay cut. From a sporting perspective, however, this arrangement would allow the club to postpone a multi-million euro investment in another centre-back."