'I played alongside Virgil van Dijk and wouldn't be shocked if he left Liverpool for Real Madrid'
Virgil van Dijk's former defensive partner at Southampton, Jose Fonte, said he wouldn't be surprised to see the Dutchman leave Liverpool for another European superpower.
The Reds skipper's current contract at Anfield will expire at the end of June, and an agreement is yet to be reached over an extension despite the player's apparent desire to remain on Merseyside.
Despite being 33 years old, Van Dijk remains one of the very best center-backs in world soccer and Liverpool would undoubtedly be a weaker team without him.
Liverpool's negotiations with Van Dijk are complicated by the position the club finds itself in with Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold, who are both set to become free agents in the summer.
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It is important that the club cuts its cloth accordingly with any new contracts and the Reds clearly can't afford to bow to the demands of all three players.
As things stand, Alexander-Arnold seems the most likely of the trio to depart, but should Van Dijk call time on his Reds career this summer, Fonte could see him continuing to play at the highest level.
"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 next season," Fonte told BoyleSports who offer the latest Premier League betting.
"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.
"He can still perform at the highest level and he has shown he can take care of himself. He will have no problem continuing at the highest level for another three or four years.
"Even if Van Dijk loses a bit of pace, he won’t be slow. He will get even better in his positioning and his anticipation. He is undoubtedly one of the best defenders in the history of football."
