Virgil van Dijk targeted for shock transfer just days after World Cup exit

Virgil van Dijk could be set to leave Liverpool in a shock move this summer as a European giant has identified him as their dream target.

The Premier League transfer window has already seen top clubs secure massive blockbuster moves.

So far it is Tottenham Hotspur leading the way in the Premier League transfer market, securing SIX singings in just two weeks, spending a whopping total of £237million on Matheus Fernandes, Jan Paul van Hecke and Sandro Tonali.

Liverpool have also stayed busy in the early part of the window, securing the surprise signing of Spain international Víctor Muñoz after triggering the Osasuna winger’s €40m (£34.6m) release clause.

The Reds will reportedly remain busy throughout the summer, with a new winger to replace Mohamed Salah believed to be the top target.

But it appears that the next big move at Anfield may not be an incoming player, as Italian outlet Gazzetta have reported that Serie A giants AC Milan have made Liverpool captain Van Dijk their top transfer target.

The report claims that, having secured a deal for former Paris Saint-Germain striker Gonçalo Ramos, Gerry Cardinale, managing partner of Milan owners RedBird Capital Partners, and club advisor Zlatan Ibrahimović now have their sights set on Van Dijk.

Having secured a new striker, Milan's next major concern is a new central defender and Ibrahimovic has already told the Milan that Van Dijk is the man he wants.

As it stands, the Dutchman, who was recently knocked out of the World Cup following a devastating penalty shootout loss to Morocco, has one year left on his Liverpool contract, having penned a new deal in April last year.

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The report claims that this information, and Ibrahimović's desire to sign Van Dijk, reached Cardinale who has started an official evaluation over submitting a bid.

It is hard to know exactly how much a bid for Van Dijk would be, but he is currently valued at around £12.8m on transfermarkt.

Instead, the issue for Milan may be Van Dijk's desire for the move and his salary, with the 34-year-old likely to become one of the club's highest paid players if he made the move to the San Siro.

And, following Ibrahima Konaté's move to Real Madrid, it appears unlikely that Liverpool would accept such an offer for their captain.

AC Milan pursuing Virgil van Dijk alternative

Because of this, AC Milan are reportedly considering a younger defender with a lower salary, with Gonçalo Inacio among the names currently being considered.

The 25-year-old impressive new AC Milan manager Ruben Amorim during his time at Sporting CP.

Unlike Van Dijk, Inacio would likely cost more to buy, reportedly between £25m and £34m, but would demand significantly less in terms of a salary.

Ironically, Inacio has been strongly linked with a move to Liverpool on several occasions in recent years, but a move never materialised.

He made 46 appearances for Sporting in all competitions last season, keeping 19 clean sheets, and is currently on international duty representing Portugal at the World Cup.