Speculation of a move to Liverpool for Virgil van Dijk is bound to resurface.
Craig Burley has told ESPN that he expects Liverpool to sign Southampton’s Virgil van Dijk – but not until next summer.
The January transfer window is only around the corner and a lot of Premier League clubs could well return for targets that they missed out on last summer.
Van Dijk to Liverpool was one that dominated the backpages for much of the off-season but the transfer collapsed after the Reds were found to have made an illegal approach for the Netherlands defender.
Liverpool apologised at the time but the same rumours are bound to circulate again come January and although Burley is confident it will happen, he says not until the summer.
He told ESPN: “I think this will happen, but I think it’s probably going to happen in the summer. Does that make it a hit? I don’t know.
“It seems like he’s going to go there sometime as a partner to Joel Matip. I’ll put it as a hit. It might be January, but probably the summer.”
Liverpool still need a figure like Van Dijk in central defence.
With 20 goals conceded in 17 games, Jurgen Klopp’s side have the joint-worst defensive record from any of the ‘big six’ in the Premier League. Burnley, for instance, have only conceded 12.
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