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Robbie Fowler has suggested who could replace Virgil van Dijk in the long run for Liverpool.
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Robbie Fowler has suggested a Premier League star who he feels Liverpool should be targeting this summer. As the transfer window approaches, the Reds have a lot on their plate to deal with, including the potential departure of key players.
Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold are all just weeks away from becoming free agents. The latter has been in long-standing talks with Real Madrid and is looking increasingly likely to make the switch to Spain at the end of the season.
As for the other two, they are reportedly on the cusp of penning new deals at Anfield. New reports have claimed Van Dijk and Salah are ‘closing in’ on a two-year contract extension each.
As both players are due to turn 34 and 33 respectively this year, Liverpool are still on the market for long-term replacements.
Robbie Fowler suggests Van Dijk replacement who ‘would look right’ in a Liverpool shirt
It will be no easy feat to replace either of the two influential players but the duo are now approaching the ends of their careers.
Robbie Fowler has weighed in on Liverpool’s need to strengthen multiple positions in the squad, especially with them likely to finish the season as Premier League champions.
If Van Dijk does sign for two more years, he will be nearing his 36th birthday at the end of his extension. Fowler has outlined Tottenham Hotspur’s Micky van de Ven as someone his former side should be looking to sign.
“I'm the sort of fan that thinks if you're not out there signing good players then you're slipping behind the competition and are slipping backwards. If you're not doing that and improving the squad you can plateau,” the Anfield legend said via the Liverpool Echo.
“When it comes to Micky van de Ven, he's a very very good player despite having his injury problems. I think he is strong, fast and I think he would look right in a Liverpool shirt. I know Tottenham fans won't want to hear that but it's a compliment to him as a player that I think the league leaders should have a look at him.”
Will Micky van de Ven stay at Spurs?
Van de Ven is a valued member of Tottenham’s squad but he has been dealt numerous injury setbacks over the years. The centre-back has had ongoing hamstring problems throughout the last two seasons but he is still regarded as a key part of the Spurs machine.
Last May, Garth Crooks compared Van de Ven to Arsenal’s William Saliba but raised concerns that if Spurs do not challenge for trophies, he could be looking to ply his trade elsewhere.
“Van de Ven is to Spurs what Saliba is to Arsenal, and that is irreplaceable at the moment. Quite apart from his pace and composure, he takes his goals like an experienced striker,” Crooks wrote in a BBC Sport column.
“The problem both Van de Ven and Saliba have is they are outstanding young defenders who are not currently winning any trophies, and should that continue, they won't be at either club for very much longer.”
Van den Ven is under contract with Tottenham until 2029, so the club are in no position to feel pressured into a sale. Football Insider reported back in February that Liverpool had expressed their interest in the 23-year-old, as he is ‘hugely rated’ by fellow Dutchman and Reds boss Arne Slot.
The report claims that Van den Ven is viewed as someone who can play at ‘elite Champions League level’ by Liverpool, and the club feel he is capable of partnering Van Dijk.