Virgil van Dijk expresses hope that Liverpool will retain Cody Gakpo, as Manchester City is reportedly nearing the end of the transfer window before Tuesday.
Liverpool forward Cody Gakpo could move to the Manchester club, where he was pictured with Matheus Nunes. However, the situation is complicated by the expected arrival of Bradley Barcola from Paris Saint-Germain, who might surpass Gakpo in the club's player rankings.
The Frenchman's arrival could lead Barcola to become the second most expensive player in Premier League history, given a potential deal value of £123 million. In three and a half years at Liverpool, Gakpo has scored 51 goals and played a key role in the club winning its 20th top-flight English division title in the 2024/25 season.
This season, the 27-year-old started brightly, scoring one goal and providing one assist, while Liverpool drew its first two matches under Andoni Iraola against Newcastle and Nottingham Forest, 2-2.
Nevertheless, Liverpool appears ready to sell Gakpo, as City is rumored to be prepared to pay £75 million. Van Dijk stated: 'He is a quality player, and I think we should keep quality players, but let's see what the next three days bring.'
He continued: 'Obviously, I really want him to stay, and not just because he is a quality player, but also because he is my friend, and I think he will be very important to us.'
Despite a difficult period for the 'Reds', who finished fifth in the Premier League last season, Barcola has attracted attention from England's European champions. Van Dijk is confident that Liverpool will always remain a popular destination for the world's best players.
Van Dijk added that, in his opinion, Liverpool is still one of the biggest clubs in the world. He admitted that the club is going through a transitional period, saying: 'Obviously, we all know that we are going through a transitional period, and you either want to be part of it or not. Right now, I am part of it.'
Regarding Barcola, Van Dijk noted: 'He is a very good player. If he comes, he will be welcomed with open arms, but until then, there is no point in talking about it now.'
Andoni Iraola quickly realized why he was given the chance to replace the sacked Arne Slot, as Liverpool's defensive issues were exposed in the matches against Newcastle and Forest. In both games, Liverpool came back twice from a deficit to secure a point.
Van Dijk emphasized: 'It takes time, but obviously, we all want this to work as soon as possible and for 90 minutes.' He added that while the ability to come back from a deficit is a good sign, the team can perform much better. 'We need to score more, we need to concede less. Nottingham Forest has visited here three times in the last three seasons and left with draws, and that shouldn't happen.'