Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk is attracting interest from Juventus, but doubts remain over whether the Serie A club could afford to complete a deal for the defender.
The 35-year-old continues to be connected with a move to Italy, with Juventus now being discussed as a possible destination. However, the financial demands involved are understood to represent a significant barrier.
Sources cited by Flashscore believe the latest Juventus speculation is similar to previous reports linking Van Dijk with AC Milan. In both cases, the central question has been whether an Italian club could meet his salary requirements.
Van Dijk earns about £350,000 a week at Liverpool, while his current contract runs until June 2027. That means the possibility of this season being his last campaign at Anfield has become part of the wider transfer discussion.
There is scepticism within the game over whether Juventus could construct a financial package that would make the move viable. For now, the proposed transfer is not regarded as realistic because of the cost involved.
AC Milan have been repeatedly linked with Van Dijk, but concerns about affordability have remained whenever a move to Italy has been considered. Juventus face similar questions over whether they could take on the Liverpool captain’s wages.
Real Madrid may be better placed to explore the possibility. The Spanish club has also recently been linked with Van Dijk, and its recent recruitment of experienced Liverpool defenders has added weight to the speculation.
Real Madrid signed Trent Alexander-Arnold as his Liverpool contract approached its end and later brought in Ibrahima Konate in comparable circumstances. That pattern makes Van Dijk a potentially appealing target for a club that has demonstrated a willingness to recruit players from Liverpool in this way.
Van Dijk joined Liverpool from Southampton for £75 million in January 2018. Since then, he has become one of the most important figures of the club’s recent era and has established himself as captain.
His contract situation is therefore central to any discussion about his future. With his deal due to expire in June 2027, the timing of a possible departure is becoming increasingly relevant to clubs considering an approach.
For the moment, however, the Juventus links remain difficult to substantiate. The club’s interest may exist, but the financial demands associated with Van Dijk continue to make a move to Turin appear unlikely.