£65m striker says Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk is the hardest defender he’s ever faced

Add as preferred source on Google

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk is undoubtedly back to his very best under new Reds manager Arne Slot.

Van Dijk wants to stay at Liverpool, with the defender’s Anfield contract set to expire at the end of this season.

Keeping him for as long as possible should be a priority for Slot, with Van Dijk impressing this season with three clean sheets from three matches.

The Liverpool captain has helped guide the Reds to joint-top of the Premier League table, while he continues to lead the Netherlands superbly on the international stage.

Van Dijk may have suffered somewhat of a dip in form last season, but that may have simply been because of the very high standards that he has set during his time on Merseyside.

Former Liverpool striker Dominic Solanke makes Virgil van Dijk claim

He certainly has the respect of his teammates and indeed others in world football, with former Liverpool striker Dominic Solanke now explaining just how special Van Dijk really is.

When asked who the hardest defender he has ever played against is, the Tottenham Hotspur striker said: “Probably say Van Dijk. He’s just got everything, big, strong, good on the ball, aggressive.

READ MORE: Everything to know on Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk from his tattoo to net worth

“I think he’s definitely one of the best defenders in our time and I’d probably say he’s probably the most difficult.”

Will Virgil van Dijk agree a new deal at Liverpool?

Solanke could have been playing alongside Van Dijk at Liverpool had he hit the heights he has lately during his time with the Reds.

But the young striker struggled to impress on Merseyside, with Solanke recently joining Spurs for £65million after shining at Bournemouth.

He has come face-to-face with Van Dijk on plenty of occasions, with their battles set to continue this season.

READ MORE: All of Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool signings ranked

Liverpool do, however, not take on Solanke and Spurs in league action until December, with that away trip followed by an Anfield meeting in April.

Reds supporters will be hopeful that their captain fantastic will have agreed a new deal by the time the first match comes around, but it remains to be seen what the future holds for the 33-year-old.