Liverpool begin a new chapter next season when Arne Slot officially takes charge.
Jurgen Klopp has left the building and it’s something the supporters will still have to get used to after his near-decade success at the club.
Liverpool won the lot under his stewardship and many players played a key role, with Slot hoping to have similar success in the coming years.
In some cases, he has to go and find his own version of Jordan Henderson, Gini Wijnaldum, Sadio Mane and Fabinho, to name a few.
But one player who is already at the club, Virgil van Dijk, is someone the new Liverpool boss has to keep on board because he is going to be crucial to how he settles in.
Van Dijk’s importance and quality is paramount to Liverpool winning the Premier League title and the Champions League again, as was proven by Bruno Guimaraes’ comments.
The Newcastle United midfielder was told to build his ‘ultimate footballer’ and there were some legendary figures he named, as posted by Football Joe on Instagram.
For pace, he put forward the name of Real Madrid’s new superstar, Kylian Mbappe. When it comes to passing, he named Andres Iniesta. Manchester City’s Kevin de Bruyne was picked because of his vision. Toni Kroos is in for his Football IQ.
And Liverpool fans will love the selection of van Dijk by Guimaraes because he was selected for his strength.
Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk picked in Bruno Guimaraes’ ultimate player
“Pace? Mbappe,” responded Guimaraes. “Passing? Iniesta. Vision? De Bruyne. Finishing? Ronaldo. Football IQ? Toni Kroos. Strength? Van Dijk. He’s strong.”
Virgil van Dijk’s centre-back partner next season
You know the 32-year-old starts, it’s just a case of who is picked next to him and who can Slot rely on.
Joel Matip has left the club, so that’s another experienced man out of the door and shoes needing filling this summer.
READ MORE: Liverpool confident Spanish teenager could be key to Slot’s plans, latest on Serie A duo
Joe Gomez, who was picked by England for Euro 2024, has seen his success come at left-back this term, with Ibrahima Konaté still having injury issues.
There is Jarell Quansah after his breakthrough campaign, but he is only 21 and you can’t put all of that pressure on him.
So, one area Slot needs to target in the summer transfer market is bringing in another proven centre-back to add some much-needed depth and long-term future to the backline.
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