Latest news with #VirgilVanDijk
BBC News
19 hours ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Why was Van Dijk overlooked?
When the shortlist for the PFA Players' Player of the Year was announced, one name was conspicuously absent - Virgil van Liverpool captain was a cornerstone of the Reds' resurgence in 2024-25 - and to highlight just how impactful he's been, he's compared here with the likes of William Saliba, Nikola Milenkovic, and Gabriel, who are widely regarded as some of the Premier League's top-performing centre-backs. This context underscores the level Van Dijk has operated at throughout the despite matching or outperforming them in several key defensive metrics, the Liverpool captain was surprisingly left off the shortlist for the PFA Players' Player of the what do the advanced numbers say about the Dutchman? Van Dijk's dominance in the air remains unmatched. According to Opta, he comfortably leads his elite peers in aerial duels won on a per game basis. In a league where physicality and aerial strength are vital, especially for a central defender, his superiority in this area sets him may not make headlines, but they reflect a defender's ability to read the game - a skill Van Dijk has in abundance. He is level with or ahead of Saliba, Milenkovic and Gabriel in this department, showcasing his tactical intelligence in Liverpool's high-risk, high-line defensive ground duels, Van Dijk remains highly competitive, just ahead of the others in total duels won, but not by much. More impressively, he has committed the fewest fouls of the group, highlighting his clean, calculated defending. It is a rare combination of aggression and composure that few defenders manage to balance so individual awards are never the full measure of a player's impact, the numbers speak loudly: Van Dijk remains one of the Premier League's elite defenders and is perhaps the most unfortunate omission from this year's honours list.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
From £11m to £100m - how has Liverpool's record spending changed?
They say you get what you pay for - and Liverpool will be hoping that rings true in the case of Florian Wirtz. It is understood the initial fee for the 22-year-old will be a £100m, and with that Wirtz becomes the Reds' club record signing. Advertisement It is a badge that has been held by club captain Virgil van Dijk since he joined for £75m from Southampton in January 2018. Often praised for their shrewd business in recent years, it is not a regular occurrence for Liverpool to go out and break the bank to secure a player. With the arrival of Wirtz, since 2000 the Reds have set a new club record on seven occasions, so how has that spending evolved? Emile Heskey - £11m in 2000 The striker was the first club record signing after the turn of the century when he joined from Leicester for £11m - the third most expensive player in English football at the time. Advertisement It was a long-standing pursuit of Heskey for Liverpool but it proved worth it with the England international scoring 60 goals in 223 appearances and securing five medals before leaving for Birmingham City in 2004. Djibril Cisse - £14m in 2004 Four years after the signing of Heskey, the Reds broke their club record by £3m to bring in another forward in Cisse from French side Auxerre. The then 22-year-old suffered serious bad luck with injuries during his time at Anfield. However, he did still feature 79 times in two years and scored 24 goals. He also scored a crucial penalty in Liverpool's Champions League final shootout with AC Milan in 2005. Advertisement Fernando Torres - £20m in 2007 In a running theme, it was another striker three years later that would increase the club's record signing by £6m with the arrival of Torres from Atletico Madrid. The Spaniard became adored by Reds during his time on Merseyside, before an acrimonious £50m exit to Premier League rivals Chelsea in January 2011. In his four years, he played 142 times and scored an impressive 81 goals. Andy Carroll - £35m in 2011 Once again, the Reds brought in a number nine and broke the club record by £15m when signing Andy Carroll from Newcastle following the exit of Torres. Despite signing a five-and-a-half-year deal, it was a somewhat ill-fated time at Anfield for Carroll. He made just 58 appearances and netted 11 goals before making a loan move in 2012 and then permanent switch to West Ham in 2013. Advertisement Naby Keita - £48m in 2017 It would be six years before Liverpool would break their record again, this time spending £48m (plus a reported undisclosed premium) to secure the signature of Keita from RB Leipzig - a year before he would officially arrive in 2018. There were big expectations on the midfielder, but injuries hampered his time with the Reds - 129 appearances across five years - but he still came away with multiple winners' medals. Virgil van Dijk - £75m in 2018 It was a big-spending 12 months for Liverpool when they smashed their club record by £27m with the signing of Van Dijk from Southampton a year after Keita. Advertisement It was also a then world record fee for a defender and former Newcastle striker Alan Shearer said at the time the Netherlands international was "not worth it at all". However, 319 appearances and nine pieces of silverware later, it is safe to say it has been a success. Florian Wirtz - £100m in 2025 It has taken seven years for the Reds to break their own record again, but they will do that with Wirtz. Now, only time will tell whether it will go down as one of the success stories or relative disappointments.
BBC News
a day ago
- Business
- BBC News
From £11m to £100m - how has Liverpool's record spending changed?
They say you get what you pay for - and Liverpool will be hoping that rings true in the case of Florian is understood the initial fee for the 22-year-old will be a £100m, and with that Wirtz becomes the Reds' club record is a badge that has been held by club captain Virgil van Dijk since he joined for £75m from Southampton in January praised for their shrewd business in recent years, it is not a regular occurrence for Liverpool to go out and break the bank to secure a the arrival of Wirtz, since 2000 the Reds have set a new club record on seven occasions, so how has that spending evolved?Emile Heskey - £11m in 2000The striker was the first club record signing after the turn of the century when he joined from Leicester for £11m - the third most expensive player in English football at the was a long-standing pursuit of Heskey for Liverpool but it proved worth it with the England international scoring 60 goals in 223 appearances and securing five medals before leaving for Birmingham City in Cisse - £14m in 2004Four years after the signing of Heskey, the Reds broke their club record by £3m to bring in another forward in Cisse from French side then 22-year-old suffered serious bad luck with injuries during his time at Anfield. However, he did still feature 79 times in two years and scored 24 also scored a crucial penalty in Liverpool's Champions League final shootout with AC Milan in Torres - £20m in 2007In a running theme, it was another striker three years later that would increase the club's record signing by £6m with the arrival of Torres from Atletico Spaniard became adored by Reds during his time on Merseyside, before an acrimonious £50m exit to Premier League rivals Chelsea in January his four years, he played 142 times and scored an impressive 81 Carroll - £35m in 2011Once again, the Reds brought in a number nine and broke the club record by £15m when signing Andy Carroll from Newcastle following the exit of signing a five-and-a-half-year deal, it was a somewhat ill-fated time at Anfield for Carroll. He made just 58 appearances and netted 11 goals before making a loan move in 2012 and then permanent switch to West Ham in Keita - £48m in 2017It would be six years before Liverpool would break their record again, this time spending £48m (plus a reported undisclosed premium) to secure the signature of Keita from RB Leipzig - a year before he would officially arrive in were big expectations on the midfielder, but injuries hampered his time with the Reds - 129 appearances across five years - but he still came away with multiple winners' van Dijk - £75m in 2018It was a big-spending 12 months for Liverpool when they smashed their club record by £27m with the signing of Van Dijk from Southampton a year after was also a then world record fee for a defender and former Newcastle striker Alan Shearer said at the time the Netherlands international was "not worth it at all".However, 319 appearances and nine pieces of silverware later, it is safe to say it has been a Wirtz - £100m in 2025It has taken seven years for the Reds to break their own record again, but they will do that with only time will tell whether it will go down as one of the success stories or relative disappointments.
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Chelsea's newest recruit Mamadou Sarr reveals the Premier League star he hopes to emulate - as French wonderkid opens up on Strasbourg, Andrey Santos and why he can become a starter at Stamford Bridge
What Chelsea 's newest central defender Mamadou Sarr may lack in decibels, he more than makes up in the depth of his declarations, with a few lines from the softly-spoken 19-year-old Frenchman forcing us to lean in a little further than we already are. 'When I was a kid, I had a dream,' Sarr says as we battle to hear him over the Mercedes-Benz Stadium's air-con units in Atlanta. 'It was to be the best centre back in the world. 'I want to be like Virgil van Dijk. I love Van Dijk. He's a leader. For a defender, that's very important. But some people tell me I play like Ibrahima Konate.' There is nothing wrong with a smidgen self-confidence – or confiance en soi as Sarr would say in the French that he occasionally slips into our chat, testing our GCSE credentials – and Chelsea will be pleased if he can come close to resembling either Liverpool defender after adjusting to the rigours of English football. They spent £12million to sign this polite 6ft 4in figure from their French sister club, another teenager tied down to a whopping eight-year deal. Sarr spent the last season playing under Liam Rosenior, the Englishman going on record to insist he can indeed become a world-class centre back with the right guidance. 'I trust him, and I trust me,' adds Sarr, a right-footer who will compete with Wesley Fofana and Co. 'I think I anticipate well. With the ball, I can pick a good pass. Off and on the pitch, I talk a lot. It's an important job. It's good for me to have competition. That will help me to be a better defender. 'He (Rosenior) was a top coach for me. He believed in me. He taught me how I can defend better, how I can help the team better, to speak a lot. Before, I didn't speak a lot. Now, I speak more.' Prior to signing for Strasbourg, Sarr spent six years in the Lens youth academy and then another six at Lyon, including a loan at Belgian side Daring Brussels, formerly RWD Molenbeek. When he made the swap to Chelsea's sister club, he will have heard rumours of it resembling a waiting room where if players perform, they are prone to finding themselves being beamed up by the mothership over at Stamford Bridge. Andrey Santos has also joined Chelsea for the Club World Cup in the United States after the 21-year-old Brazilian impressed enough on loan under Rosenior. Both Santos and Sarr are expected to debut either in Friday's game versus Brazilian side Flamengo or the following one with Tunisian outfit ES Tunis. But Sarr insists his old side are much more than a mere feeder club, saying: 'I joined Strasbourg to play for Strasbourg. I knew of some interest (from Chelsea) approximately in November, December. Then in January I had an idea that it was possible. When one of the biggest clubs come to you, it is so exciting. 'For me, I have to progress. He (Santos) is a very good guy, a very good player. Everyone knows he's like a brother for me. We talked a lot about Chelsea last year. Now we are here and we have to work to get better.' What did Chelsea say to him in their project pitch? 'To progress,' he continues. 'To work hard, work hard, work hard. When they think you are ready to play, you can. It's very important to me – to train very well, to speak with the coach, to speak with every player, and to be confident in what I do.' Paris Saint-Germain are the favourites to win the Club World Cup, and they are a side that Sarr knows well after facing them home and away in Ligue 1 last season for Strasbourg, losing 4-2 at the Parc des Princes but winning 2-1 at the Stade de la Meinau before Strasbourg secured European qualification. He sees similarities between PSG and Chelsea, not least in the average ages of their line-ups. 'Yes, yes, yes,' he says upon mention of the Parisians. 'I played them twice last year. They are a very good team. Chelsea are a very good team. They are like PSG. We can compete with them. I think Chelsea can beat PSG. 'It (the Club World Cup) is very important. Every club wants to show that they are the best team in the world. Chelsea want to be the best team in the world so we want to win.' Some critics will say Chelsea's youngsters cannot win trophies bigger than the Conference League, and Sarr insists that talk is hogwash: 'It's not true. PSG won the Champions League. Chelsea can win.' With his help, he hopes. Before Van Dijk agreed his new contract with Liverpool in April, Chelsea were linked with nabbing the defender on a free transfer. Now they have Sarr, who is itching to show why he can be the VVD of CFC instead.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Mohamed Salah has perfect birthday message for doubters before new Liverpool contract kicks in
Mohamed Salah showed off his chiseled physique as he celebrated his 33rd birthday over the weekend, showing that age is just a number to the Egyptian superstar. Salah is coming off the back of arguably the best season of his career, having scored 34 goals and registered 23 assists as the Reds claimed the Premier League title. Advertisement Those remarkable numbers were posted despite Salah playing against the backdrop of uncertainty over his future for much of the season. Salah's previous Liverpool contract was due to expire at the end of June, but he finally put pen to paper on a two-year extension in April, keeping him at the club until 2027. READ MORE: Liverpool transfers LIVE: Milos Kerkez hint, Jarell Quansah interest, Hugo Ekitike admission READ MORE: Hugo Ekitike delivers Liverpool transfer blow with 'favorite club' remark Liverpool is typically reluctant to hand significant extensions to players aged over 30, but the Reds made exceptions for Salah and 33-year-old Virgil van Dijk, with both players committing to two-year deals. Advertisement Despite turning 33, there has been nothing to suggest that Salah's level is about to drop off, and considering how well he takes care of himself off the field, Liverpool fans can feel confident that the Egyptian will continue to operate at a high level in years to come. Speaking to Egyptian media last month, Salah said that he believes he could continue playing until the age of 40. "I will stop playing when I have that feeling," Salah said. "If you ask me for my opinion, I think I can play until the age of 39 or 40, but if I felt before that I wanted to stop, I would quit. I have achieved a lot of things. "My contract was up at Liverpool, and I would have gone to Saudi, but we finalized the deal with Liverpool." Salah was the subject of interest from Saudi Pro League club Al Hilal earlier this year, but was not ready to call time on his top-level career in Europe. Advertisement The former Chelsea player left the door open to a move to Saudi Arabia in the future, though, as he spoke positively about his good relationship with the country. "I still have a good relationship with them, and I always stay in contact with them. Yes, we were talking to each other," he added, with reference to clubs in Saudi Arabia. "I don't know what is going to happen, but I am happy here in Liverpool and I am staying here for the next two years. Then I will see what I will do next."
