Virgil van Dijk to follow Jurgen Klopp in shock Liverpool exit?
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Could Liverpool fans be set to deal with the heartbreak of losing BOTH Jurgen Klopp and Virgil van Dijk this summer?
The football world was rocked on Friday morning when Klopp announced that he’ll be stepping down as Liverpool manager following the end of the 2023/24 season.
While Klopp is a Liverpool legend, and arguably the best manager they’ve had in decades, the feeling around the club was still pretty positive, with club captain Van Dijk right at the front of that.
However, the Dutchman has indicated that he may follow Klopp out of the exit door, leaving Liverpool fans seriously worried about the downward spiral the club may go on with a huge name leaving, and another potentially on the way out toio.
Jurgen Klopp is leaving Liverpool at the end of the season
In a video that Liverpool fans hoped they’d never have to listen to, Klopp announced last week that he’s leaving Liverpool at the end of the season, two years before his contract with the club was set to expire.
Klopp explained that he feels he’s ‘running out of energy’, something that his managerial style has become synonymous with, and feels like he’s no longer the right man to lead the club, particularly considering the major overhaul that was undertaken over the summer.
The current favourite to become the next Liverpool manager is former player Xabi Alonso, who is currently leading a Bayer Leverkusen side who, after 19 games, are unbeaten in the Bundesliga and sit two points clear of Bayern Munich.
With Coral, Alonso is the ‘clear favourite’ at 4/6 to become Liverpool’s next manager, ahead of Roberto De Zerbi (7/1), current assistant Pep Ljinders (10/1) and club legend Steven Gerrard (20/1).
However, if Alonso does become Liverpool’s next manager, he could be set to take over the club without its current captain, Virgil van Dijk…
Virgil van Dijk has hinted that he will also leave Liverpool
Despite being the club’s captain, Van Dijk’s future at Liverpool was already up in the air, and the situation hasn’t been helped by Klopp’s exit.
Along with Trent Alexander-Arnold and Mohamed Salah, Virgil’s deal is set to expire in 2025, but the Dutchman may not even last until next year as a Liverpool player, at least according to his latest comments.
When asked about the role he’ll play in the post-Klopp era of Liverpool, Van Dijk failed to confirm for certain whether he’ll even be a part of it, having the following to say…
“That’s a big question. I don’t know. The club will have a big job on their hands, that is well known. To replace not only the manager but the whole staff and there are so many things that will change. I’m very curious which direction that will go in, but when that will be announced we will see our situation.”
Van Dijk’s comments may concern some Liverpool fans, who during this period of uncertainty, will have wanted their captain to put their minds at ease and confirm that he’ll be staying at the club no matter what. However, that’s not what’s happened, and to be fair, Virgil’s comments shouldn’t actually be that surprising.
Why would Virgil van Dijk leave Liverpool?
As noted by The Athletic, top players will want to know the future direction the club is heading in before committing their futures to Liverpool, no matter how much they may love playing at Anfield.
Van Dijk, as well as Trent and Salah will want to know more about the next manager, how they fit in with his vision and style of play, and the ambitions he has for the future of the side before deciding whether or not they want to stay.
In short, Virgil isn’t saying that he’s 100% going to leave Liverpool, far from it in fact. All he’s saying is that he’ll want to see what the club does next now that Klopp is on his way out, before deciding whether or not he plans on extending his contract and remaining a Liverpool player.
That’s why the search for Klopp’s replacement will be incredibly important for FSG. It’s not just about bringing in a manager to win games, it’s about hiring someone that the existing players can believe in and want to play for, to prevent them looking to leave.
Xabi Alonso is the favourite to become Liverpool’s next manager
At the time of writing, as noted, Alonso is the favourite to become Liverpool’s next manager, although a lot could change between now and the end of the season, when a decision will be formally announced.
Below are the current front-runners, according to Coral, to take over from Klopp as Liverpool’s next boss…
- Xabi Alonso – 4/6
- Roberto De Zerbi – 7/1
- Pep Ljinders – 10/1
- Julian Nagelsmann – 12/1
- Ruben Amorim – 12/1
- Zinedine Zidane – 16/1
- Ange Postecoglu – 20/1
- Graham Potter – 20/1
- Steven Gerrard – 20/1
- Thomas Frank – 20/1
- Unai Emery – 20/1
- Antonio Conte – 25/1
- Diego Simeone – 25/1
- Jose Mourinho – 25/1
- Xavi – 25/1
- Thomas Tuchel 25/1
- Luis Enrique – 25/1
All odds and markets are correct as of the date of publication.
