Jose Fonte says he wouldn't be surprised if Virgil van Dijk made a move to Real Madrid this summer. The ex-Portugal international, who partnered with Van Dijk in Southampton's defence, believes his former colleague would "thrive" at the Bernabeu.

Van Dijk's contract with Liverpool is set to expire at the end of the campaign, and although the Dutch centre-back has expressed his desire to remain at Anfield, no deal has been finalised yet - casting uncertainty over his future. Despite being 33, Van Dijk remains one of the best defenders around, and his exit would be a major blow to Arne Slot's side.

Negotiations over a contract renewal appear to have hit a standstill, much like with Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold, both of whom are also approaching the final months of their deals. If Van Dijk does leave, Fonte believes he will seamlessly slot into another European powerhouse's first team.

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"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. "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."

If the Dutch defender does end up at Real Madrid, there's a growing possibility he could reunite with Alexander-Arnold next season. Reports suggest the Liverpool right-back has verbally agreed to join Los Blancos when his contract runs out, though Reds fans are still holding out hope that he'll sign an extension at Anfield instead.

Fonte and Van Dijk were Southampton's defensive duo for two seasons at St Mary's. Their partnership began in 2015 when Van Dijk arrived from Celtic, but it came to an end in 2017 when Fonte departed for West Ham.

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It wasn't long before Van Dijk also moved on. Just 18 months later, Liverpool secured his services, making him the most expensive defender in football history at the time with a £75million transfer.

Since then, Van Dijk has featured in over 300 matches for the Reds. He's also won seven major trophies, including the Champions League in 2019 and the Premier League title in 2020.