Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk clarifies future as Real Madrid star ‘rejects’ transfer chance

The latest news and transfer rumours as the Reds wait for the Premier League to return

It has been a perfect start to the new Premier League season for Liverpool as they have recorded three wins from their opening fixtures against Ipswich Town, Brentford and Manchester United.

However, head coach Arne Slot has seen the breaks put on his fast start to life at Anfield as September saw his players jet across the globe to join up with their international teams.

Fear not, though, as that hasn’t stopped the ECHO from rounding up the latest Liverpool headlines during the Premier League’s hiatus.

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Van Dijk sets the record straight on future

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has committed his future to the Netherlands until the 2026 World Cup – just weeks after he was considering whether to retire from international duty.

The 33-year-old had contemplated ending his nine-year career with the Oranje after a last-gasp defeat to England in the sem-finals of the European Championships.

But after a summer of reflection, Liverpool captain Van Dijk wants to lead the Netherlands to the 2026 World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the United States.

“At both teams I am still Virgil van Dijk, the big leader! And I certainly want to remain that for the next two years,” said Van Dijk after Holland’s 5-2 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina on Saturday. “I am human, I have emotions too. You start thinking all kinds of things. Especially just after a game like the elimination (by England) in the very last minute.

“I also understand that it came across as unclear on how I stood in all this because after the match I was so disappointed and full of emotion. It perhaps came across as if it had been my last international match. I did have doubts that night and I did hint at that.

“It’s very good that I went on holiday the next day, was able to spend time with my children, my family, which is the most important thing in my life. I was able to share it and then very quickly things calmed down.”

Liverpool’s hopes of landing Tchouameni rubbished

Speculation linking Liverpool with a move for Real Madrid midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni has been rubbished as the player reportedly has no desire to leave the Spanish capital.

The Reds were keen on bringing the France international to Anfield in the summer of 2022 when he was still plying his trade at AS Monaco, however, the 24-year-old had informed Anfield chiefs of his desire to move to the Santiago Bernabeu instead.

Over the summer, though, Tchouameni was linked with a move to the Premier League, with Liverpool and Arsenal among the teams touted with a move for the Champions League winner. But according to Fabrizio Romano, neither Tchouameni nor Real Madrid are looking to part ways in the near future.

Speaking on his Here We Go podcast, Romano said: “We saw these rumours in England and we keep receiving many questions on Tchouameni because the summer transfer window just closed.

“Many people raised rumours about Liverpool, Arsenal, Tchouameni in 2025. I wanted to clarify something for 2024, 2025, 2026, whenever. The intention of Aurelien Tchouameni is to stay in Real Madrid. The intention of Real Madrid is to keep Aurelien Tchouameni as a crucial player for that project.

“For present and future. They are in love with Tchouameni, with the player, with the professional. How he acted in the centre-back position was something really appreciated by the technical staff at Real Madrid. So it’s absolutely not even considered for Real Madrid to sell Aurelien Tchouameni. The situation is perfect between the club and player.

“I can guarantee at the moment, despite all the rumours, we know how many clubs can appreciate a top player like Tchouameni. But in terms of concrete possibilities for him to leave Madrid – at the moment, zero.”