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The future of Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk continues to gnaw away at the club despite the success that Arne Slot’s men have enjoyed so far this season.

The Reds sit at the top of the Premier League table, are through to the League Cup final and are also safely through the Champions League knockout stages after topping the competition’s inaugural league phase this season.

While it’s been a dream start to Arne Slot’s tenure, the contract situations of Van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Mo Salah, whose current deals are all up at the end of the current season, add an element of uncertainty when it comes to future planning.

Liverpool captain Virgil Van Dijk's preferred option named

Van Dijk has again been in excellent form for Liverpool, playing every single minute of their Premier League season so far and marshalling a defence that has conceded just 21 goals in 23 games, the fewest in the Premier League.

Despite recent rumours to the contrary, Slot confirmed last week that none of this key trio have yet reached new agreements with the club, saying: “We have some contractual situations that you don’t probably don’t know about. But Trent, Mo and Virgil haven’t extended yet. So we are aware of the fact that we have to be sharp and ready for things that can happen.”

Van Dijk, who turns 34 in the summer and was ranked as the best centre-back in the world by FourFourTwo last year, has been linked with some of Europe’s biggest teams, with Juventus, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid all reportedly eyeing a free transfer this summer, but according to a report from Spanish outlet El Nacional, the player himself has wants to join Barcelona.

The report claims of all the options open to Van Dijk, playing at Barca under Hansi Flick appeals the most and that he has been ’seduced’ by the idea and he is ‘leaving the doors open’ over a move to the Nou Camp at the end of the season.

This comes after Van Dijk’s former defensive partner at Southampton, Jose Fonte, listed Barca as one potential option for the Red skipper.

“Virgil van Dijk would thrive at Real Madrid, Barcelona or Bayern Munich and I wouldn’t be shocked to see him at one of those clubs this season,” he said. “Those clubs will be looking for defenders that are as reliable as Van Dijk and they will all be looking if he gets to the end of the season without signing a contract.”

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In FourFourTwo’s view, the pull of one last challenge at a major European side should not be something Liverpool underestimate as they look to agree a new deal with the Netherlands international.

Van Dijk is valued at €28million by Transfermarkt, but a long-term replacement of his calibre will surely cost more than that for Liverpool, so they must pull out all the stops in terms of the package they offer him, both financially and in terms of ambition, as it is clear he is still operating at the highest level.