Virgil Van Dijk believes Liverpool will need another step forward before the summer transfer deadline after selling Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez. The Reds are deeply connected to Alexander Isaac, but Newcastle United are not planning to let go of the Star Striker without a fight.
Liverpool had enough muscle at the top of the pitch, scoring twice with Crystal Palace in the first 21 minutes of the Community Shield on Sunday. The new £79 million summer signature Hugo Ekitike found the bottom corner with a nice finish to roll the ball. And after Jean-Philippe Mateta was equal from the scene, Jeremie Frimpong’s cross sailed Dean Henderson’s head to recover the lead.
But in the end it was going to be a disastrous afternoon for Vandick and his teammates. Ismaila Sarr forced a penalty shootout with a close finish from the post, missing spot kicks for Mohamed Sara, Alexis Mac Alister and Harvey Elliott.
“I hate losing and I lost my last two games at Wembley,” said Van Dik, who was on the pitch when Liverpool lost in the Carabao Cup final against Newcastle in May.
That day, Isak was on the score sheet as Magpies ran out of 2-1 winners, but he still managed to cross the gap. Liverpool was waiting to continue their second bid with their second bid after the £110 million proposal was knocked back earlier this month.
Arne Slot welcomed Ekitike and Florian Wirtz to Anfield this summer, but with Diaz and Nunez set out for Bayern Munich and Al-Hilal respectively, Van Dijk feels that perhaps another attacker like Isak is exactly what the team needs.
He told Talksport:
However, slots appear to be against it. “I think we’re beyond enough (offensive) options to win again. Here we focus on ourselves. For the players we have, we should be able to win.
“So, my last concern at the moment is our offensive quality. It’s more…it’s not a concern, but looking at the amount of targets we’ve acknowledged in the preseason, that’s not our standard.”
