There’s a reason champions Van Dijk says rocking Reds will improve out of sight
VIRGIL VAN DIJK allayed fears over Liverpool’s refusal to splash the summer transfer cash by insisting the current squad has barely scratched the surface of their potential.
The centre-half says there is a reason they are the current European champions – simply because they have proven their quality and spirit beyond question.
Yet even though they have reached successive Champions League finals and last season recorded 97 points, the thirdhighest total ever in English football’s elite, the Dutchman believes there is far more to come.
He points to the fact that they are a young team, who only really came together in the second half of last season.And he is convinced that with important players such as Naby Keita and Joe Gomez – and even Fabinho – still to play a central role throughout a full campaign, they can get better.
Liverpool have so far brought in only Fulham teenager Harvey Elliott and Dutch defender Sepp van den Berg, 17, and when asked about the fans’ unease over the new signings,Van Dijk fired back: “There’s plenty more to come from the team.
“There’s a reason why we are European champions. We have to stay calm, we want to win games, and yeah, OK, Napoli were just a little bit better than us, but even there we showed promising football as well.”
Liverpool have lost three of their last four pre-season games against better opposition, which has prompted an outcry from the more excitable sections of support, especially with Sunday’s Community Shield opponents Manchester spending again this summer.
Yet they also – in Van Dijk himself – possess the favourite to lift this year’s Ballon d’Or trophy, and, in Mo Salah, a previous contender for that title.
“First of all we have good players,” Van Dijk said of the team’s capacity to challenge again this season. “That’s important.
“But everyone knows the players who are missing are important players for us. That’s a fact. It was quite sloppy at times against Napoli, but there’s no concerns from my point of view.
“Our season starts properly next Sunday, so our focus will be on that. Obviously we want to win games – and the Manchester
City game is perfect for that. We know if
ARSENAL expect to complete the club-record £72million signing of Lille star Nicolas Pepe in the next 24 hours.
The France winger is set to fly into London for his medical today and will sign a five-year deal worth £138,000-a-week as Gunners manager Unai Emery accelerates his spending with less than two weeks to go before the new Premier League season.
Arsenal are expected to make a third bid for Celtic defender Keiran Tierney as they look to strengthen their defence. City we play like that [against Napoli] we won’t win the Community Shield, it’s as simple as that. We will definitely be ready for City.” Salah, Roberto Firmino,Alisson, Keita and Xherdan Shaqiri will all be back for a training camp in Evian this week, where Liverpool will work on fitness, tactical and technical details.
That will be especially important in defence, with some of the frailties at the back against Napoli forcing a flashpoint between Van Dijk and his manager Jurgen Klopp after the first Italian goal at Murrayfield on Sunday. Asked what was said, he smiled, saying: “Just things between me and him. Everyone has to communicate with each other. “Sometimes you have to tell someone the truth – that’s how it is.”
ANGRY: Boss Klopp took his frustration out on Van Dijk