Former Everton manager Ronald Koeman is playing a key role in keeping Virgil van Dijk at Liverpool.
Koeman, now the Netherlands manager, visited Van Dijk at his home outside Manchester at the start of the season, hoping to persuade him not to think about ending his international career after Euro 2024 failure.
Koeman wants Van Dijk to lead the Netherlands at the 2026 World Cup. Koeman has warned all of his squad that they will only be considered for selection if they play at the highest level. And the former Barcelona coach believes there is no better league in the world than the Premier League.
Van Dijk is out of contract at Liverpool at the end of the season and has attracted interest from the Saudi Pro League. The Dutchman could follow close friend Gini Wijnaldum to the Middle East with a host of lucrative offers.
However, Wijnaldum has paid the price for losing his place in the Dutch squad. The same goes for winger Steven Bergwijn, who has also been dropped after moving to the Middle East. And Memphis Depay, the former Barcelona and Manchester United man, has lost his place in the national team after deciding to move to Brazilian club Corinthians.
The Dutch national team believe that Van Dijk will not risk his fate and are keen for the centre-back to stay at Anfield.
"The book is basically closed on Bergwijn," Koeman explained. "He knows what I think about playing in these kinds of competitions. When you are 26, your main ambition should be sporting, not financial. These are the choices that players make."
The Dutch boss watched Wijnaldum play at El-Ettifaq and was not impressed with the level of football there. Koeman believes Van Dijk will not make the same mistake.
"I thought it was important to go to Van Dijk to understand his true feelings. I wanted to know if he would give his all for the next two years at the highest level and if he still saw a future for himself. He did and I felt the same. All doubts were gone," Koeman said.
Van Dijk joined Liverpool from Southampton in a £75m deal, a record for a centre-back at the time, in 2018. The Dutch international has made 287 appearances in all competitions for the Reds, scoring 25 goals and providing 10 assists.
