Virgil van Dijk, the captain of Premier League club Liverpool, acknowledged that there are concerns about the club’s lack of transfer activity ahead of the upcoming campaign. And challenged his teammates to step up in the place of several players who departed the club thgis summer.
English midfielder, Jordan Henderson who spent 12 years at Liverpool, left the club last month to join Saudi Pro League club Al Ettifaq. And Van Dijk, 32, took over as captain.
Up to six experienced players have left Liverpool. Namely midfielders Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, James Milner, Naby Keita, and striker Roberto Firmino. Henderson and Fabinho have joined Saudi Arabian teams.
The only two players Liverpool have added throughout the summer period are midfielders Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai. With three days before the start of a new campaign, the amount of arrivals at Anfield has not kept up with departures.
“I can definitely understand it in some ways but I’m not a very negative person,” Van Dijk said as reported by the ESPN when asked about Liverpool fans’ worries.
“Obviously, when a lot of players are leaving, when your captain is leaving, your vice-captain is leaving, and at the moment, there are only two incomings.
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“And the way we have been playing, in possession really good but defensively when you concede goals it’s not as good, I can understand some people having doubts.”
After narrowly losing out on a historic quadruple in the 2021–22 season (the club finished with two domestic cups). Liverpool will not participate in the Champions League for the first time since manager Jurgen Klopp’s first full season in 2016–17.
