Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk is attracting renewed transfer interest from Italy, with Juventus being discussed as a possible destination, although there is considerable doubt over whether the club could afford a deal for the defender.
The 35-year-old remains on the radar in Serie A, but the financial demands involved are understood to make a move to Juventus difficult to achieve. Sources have told Flashscore that the latest speculation resembles previous reports linking Van Dijk with AC Milan.
The main obstacle is the Netherlands international’s salary. Van Dijk earns about £350,000 a week at Liverpool, and people within the game have questioned how Juventus could structure a package that would meet his financial requirements.
His contract at Anfield is due to expire in June 2027, although the possibility that this season could be his final campaign with Liverpool has increasingly become part of the transfer discussion.
AC Milan have been regularly connected with Van Dijk, but concerns about the cost of any potential agreement have persisted whenever a move to Italy has been considered. The same financial issue has made the Juventus reports particularly difficult to substantiate at present.
Real Madrid, however, could represent a different possibility.
The Spanish club have now been linked with Van Dijk, and their recent recruitment of experienced Liverpool defenders has added weight to the speculation. Real Madrid signed Trent Alexander-Arnold as his Liverpool contract approached its conclusion and later brought in Ibrahima Konate in a similar fashion.
That pattern makes Van Dijk an appealing potential target for Real Madrid, who have demonstrated a willingness to pursue Liverpool players in this manner.
Van Dijk joined Liverpool from Southampton for £75 million in January 2018 and has since become one of the most important figures of the club’s recent period.
His leadership has made him a defining presence at Liverpool, while the approaching final phase of his contract has increased attention on what could happen next in his career.
For now, Juventus remain a difficult fit because of the defender’s wages and the wider financial demands of the deal. Although interest from Italy continues to be discussed, there is still scepticism within football over whether the move is genuinely realistic.