Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk, fresh off signing his own contract extension with the Reds, has added intrigue to the growing speculation around Trent Alexander-Arnold’s future at the club.
Van Dijk’s comments after Liverpool’s 1-0 victory over Leicester City have only intensified rumours that the right-back could be nearing an exit from Merseyside.
“Since I joined the club, he has been a fantastic player and there’s a lot of good things that he will always be remembered for if he decides to leave,” he said post-match. “Whatever may happen in the future for him, that’s something he has to resolve with himself and the family. But he’s a Liverpool player at this point, and he’s important for our team.”
The right-back, who was the hero for Liverpool against Leicester on Sunday after scoring the only goal of the tie from the bench, has been consistently linked with a move to Real Madrid over the summer.
But after watching him score the winner against Leicester—which puts Liverpool one win away from clinching the title—Van Dijk issued a strong defence of his teammate, who celebrated his goal exuberantly in front of the vociferous away support.
“He has been important throughout the whole season, and today again he came back from the injury—a long one—and that’s what I’m happy about… Since I joined the club, he has been a fantastic player and there’s a lot of good things that he will always be remembered for if he decides to leave,” he added.