Van Dijk sends clear message to Liverpool owners for final days of transfer window

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has told any of his teammates not up for the challenge this season to leave the club. The Reds endured a miserable campaign as they finished 5th and just about scraped into the Champions League.

That miserable form saw Arne Slot lose his job just 12 months after leading the club to just their second Premier League title. Van Dijk was a vocal critic, and has slammed their 2025/26 season as 'unacceptable'.

And in order to avoid a repeat, he has told any teammate who feel they do not want to rise to the pressure to leave the club.

He said: “For me personally, being a Liverpool player, last year was unacceptable. But that is last year. This year we have an opportunity to turn that around, together with our fans.

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"And we all know how tough that will be but if you're not up for the challenge, then you're not at the right place. What I feel at the moment is everyone is up for the challenge. Let's see how we go about it.

"But I'm really looking forward to this season and I don't think we have a point to prove to anyone. We have to show how much we care, how much we want to fight for this badge and also realise how privileged we are to be playing for Liverpool.

“If you look at Bournemouth last year (under Iraola), I think they were pretty exciting. I would say if we keep working, keep believing, keep showing our quality, staying fit, and hopefully win a lot of games then we can be very excited.

"That's the aim, that’s what we fight for, but we all know how tough it is. We all know how tough it is to be playing Premier League football, to be playing on all four fronts, but you have to embrace it. You have to enjoy the ride.

"We all so blessed here and we have to keep going and enjoy it and that's what I will do, and I encourage everyone to do that as well. That's what I keep saying the boys as well so let's see."

Liverpool have already made a number of changes ahead of Andoni Iraola's debut campaign. Club icons Mo Salah and Andrew Robertson have left, while Ibrahima Konate quit for Real Madrid.

The Reds have re-invested by signing Victor Munoz and Jeremy Jacquet, while Ronald Araujo has arrived on-loan from Barcelona.

On Liverpool's business, Van Dijk added: "We need a squad that is able to compete on all four fronts and that’s the only way to try to be successful.

"Let’s see what the last couple of weeks of the transfer window will bring and then let’s go for it."