ARNE SLOT TOLD HE CAN SAVE LIVERPOOL MILLIONS WITH VIRGIL VAN DIJK REPLACEMENT

Liverpool icon John Barnes has tipped Jarell Quansah as the potential heir to Virgil van Dijk's defensive throne at Anfield. If he's right, it could mean Arne Slot may not need to venture into the transfer market for a replacement.

Van Dijk, who has etched his name as one of Liverpool's finest defenders in the Premier League era since his move from Southampton in January 2018, is now facing speculation about his longevity at the club after racking up 270 appearances. With his contract set to expire in June 2025 and murmurs about his future plans emerging this summer, the Reds might soon need to consider their options.

Barnes, however, believes that Liverpool already has a promising talent within its ranks in the form of the young English defender Quansah, who he feels has the potential to rise to the occasion and become a leading center-back. Slot will no doubt be assessing that very situation over the course of pre-season.

Currently, Van Dijk is missing from Liverpool's pre-season tour in the US, having been granted a break following Euro 2024. He has spoken about taking time this summer to ponder his next steps, both at the club and on the international stage, stating: "I will think carefully about what I want, at club level and as an international player."

Despite these comments sparking discussions among fans and pundits alike, reports from The Athletic suggest that the Liverpool management remains unfazed. It does not think it will lose the defender this summer, and will open talks over a renewal.

But should Van Dijk decide to part ways with Liverpool sooner rather than later, Barnes has told bettingexpert.com that Quansah is more than capable of stepping up. That's despite acknowledging that Ibrahima Konate is currently higher up the pecking order.

Barnes highlighted Quansah's commendable performances last season. "I think Konate is still the first choice next to Van Dijk because he's got the experience and the quality but Quansah didn't let anyone down last season," he said.

"He played with assurance, calmness, and maturity. So even if he isn't the first choice next season, in the long term, he's got a bright future and with Van Dijk getting older, he could be the future first-choice Liverpool center-back. With what he's shown, he can be a backup or a starter."

Liverpool clearly sees Quansah as a valuable asset. When Newcastle proposed a potential deal for winger Anthony Gordon in June, hoping to balance the books before the league's PSR deadline, a swap deal involving the 21-year-old was suggested and promptly rejected.

Quansah's rise last season came immediately after a loan spell in League One with Bristol Rovers. Back at Anfield, he scored the final goal of Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool reign in his 33rd appearance for the club.

His impressive performance in this short period earned him a call-up to Gareth Southgate's provisional Euro 2024 squad. Although he didn't make the final cut, he responded professionally, hinting that he might be the one to fill Van Dijk's enormous shoes.

"I'm always a person who wants to improve and kick on," he said. "I look at the positives and the negatives, and I just try to take it all in and try to improve for the next season really. That's what my reflecting sort of told me. It was just about how to kick on and how to be the best version of myself.

"It's more of the same and to just keep improving. Like I said before, try to be the best version of myself, keep getting better and better on the training pitch, be a sponge, and take in everything that I can."

Liverpool.com says: There's no doubt that Quansah looks like the real deal. But it would be counter-productive to burden him with overly steep expectations and workload at such a young age, and signing another player for the medium-term looks like the wisest course of action.

Still, it's good that Slot has not rushed to make a signing. It would be a travesty if Quansah was cast aside, and the new coach has been able to get a good, long look at his talents before making any decisions.

This article was created with the help of AI tools.

2024-07-26T13:30:21Z dg43tfdfdgfd