Virgil van Dijk better than Nemanja Vidic and John Terry - I'm 100% sure about Liverpool replacement
Jaap Stam says Liverpool "do not understand football" if they fail to give captain Virgil van Dijk a new contract. The Reds have been locked in negotiations with the centre-back but have yet to find a breakthrough to extend his deal beyond the end of this season.
Van Dijk was a transformative signing after arriving for £75m from Southampton in January 2018, helping Liverpool win every major trophy under Jurgen Klopp.
He's shone under Arne Slot since the Dutchman's appointment as Liverpool head coach in the summer and has played every Premier League match so far for the current leaders.
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And former Manchester United and Holland centre-back Stam, who says Van Dijk is better than two of the Premier League's greatest ever defenders Nemanja Vidic and John Terry, believes Liverpool simply have to keep the 32-year-old at Anfield.
He said: “Virgil van Dijk is one of the greatest defenders in Premier League history and people often mention Nemanja Vidic and John Terry – Van Dijk is a better player than those two were.
“I rate him above them because of his overall ability as a player, it’s better. There are other names I could talk about but Van Dijk is up there with the best ever in the Premier League.
“What we see now is him still performing at the highest level even though it’s under a new manager and I think Arne Slot expects even more of him than Jurgen Klopp did.
“Virgil van Dijk is still showing his quality, he's still very fit, he's a real professional. He’s also preparing his body to be ready for the next game as soon as one game has finished.
“If they don't give him a new contract, I don't think they understand football. But I think Liverpool are very wise when it comes to building a team, bringing players in, and giving other players new contracts. I believe they're working on that and trying to keep them within the club and I think that would be a very wise decision to do so.”
Should Van Dijk depart Liverpool at the end of his current contract, Stam believes the perfect replacement is another Dutchman playing in the Premier League
Indeed, Stam says Newcastle United defender Sven Botman has all the attributes to be a success at a bigger club after impressing since arriving from Lille in a deal worth around £33m in 2022.
And speaking to BoyleSports about Premier League betting, he added: “I rate Sven Botman very highly, he is a very good player and I remember him playing at a young age in Holland before making the step to France and then to the Premier League.
“He’s a very good player and left footed, which can be difficult to find. He has pace and he is big and strong, he is good one on one and in the air.
“Could he replace Van Dijk? I’m 100% sure that he could. You never know because the pressure will be different at Liverpool than it is at Newcastle, but he could be a success.
“I’d like to see him at an even bigger club than Newcastle, but at the moment he needs to get back to a rhythm and play regularly with confidence, showing fans what he can do.”
