RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 2 sourcesWhat Virgil van Dijk said after defeat to Monaco lays bare the stark reality Liverpool now face
Virgil van Dijk admitted after Liverpool’s defeat to Monaco on Sunday that the Reds are going through a period of ‘transition’.
For the second time in three years, the Merseyside club go into a season with a new head coach in charge, with Andoni Iraola replacing Arne Slot after the latter had succeeded Jurgen Klopp in 2024.
Those changes in the dugout sandwiched a transfer window of unprecedented expenditure as FSG splashed out on multiple new signings, with several of the previous campaign’s Premier League-winning squad departing.
Van Dijk admits Liverpool are in ‘transition’
Van Dijk – who’s now the second longest-serving first-team player at Anfield (after Joe Gomez) – said after the defeat yesterday that Liverpool are in another transitional phase and has called on everyone involved at the club to work towards establishing a sustained period of success in L4.
The 35-year-old told reporters (via BBC Sport ): “It definitely feels like a bit of a transition, for sure. It is down to everyone associated with Liverpool to make sure we are building something that will be successful for years to come.
“This year, we want to be successful, but there is a lot of work still to be done. We all know how difficult it is to be playing in the Premier League, the League Cup, the FA Cup and the Champions League, so we need everyone at their best.”
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Van Dijk a rare constant in an era of significant change at Liverpool
For the fourth summer in a row, strong winds of change have blown through Anfield.
2023 saw the midfield overhauled with the exits of Jordan Henderson, James Milner, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (with Bobby Firmino also leaving), to be replaced by Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai, Wataru Endo and Ryan Gravenberch.
Klopp departed the following year, with Slot coming in and winning the Premier League at the first attempt. Then came last summer’s trolley dash as the club twice broke their transfer record to sign Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak, with Jeremie Frimpong, Milos Kerkez, Hugo Ekitike and Giovanni Leoni also arriving.
Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez, Caoimhin Kelleher and Trent Alexander-Arnold all left in 2025, with Mo Salah , Andy Robertson and Ibrahima Konate exiting this summer, in addition to Iraola replacing Slot in the dugout.
Between two changes of manager/head coach and extensive movement in the transfer market, Van Dijk has been one of the few constants since 2022, the year in which Liverpool won both domestic cups and were two games away from completing a legendary quadruple.
Expectations are much more modest now as the Reds prepare for another new era with Iraola in charge. The new boss mightn’t have the veteran skipper or Alisson Becker to call upon for much longer, so that feeling of ‘transition’ could pervade for another little while yet.
Change is inevitable in football and in life. For LFC, hopefully we’re in the midst of a bridge towards sustained success in the years to come, much like the start of Klopp’s reign before the German’s emphatic deliverance.
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