Virgil Van Dijk Identifies Glaring Liverpool Issue As Defender Makes Transfer Admission

Virgil van Dijk has identified the glaring issue Liverpool must improve on before the new season kicks off next weekend.

The Dutchman gave away a penalty as the Reds drew 2-2 with Crystal Palace in the Community Shield Final before ultimately losing the match on spot-kicks.

It was a poor result for Van Dijk and his teammates and the former Celtic centre-half was disappointed with his own performance as well as the efforts his teammates put in on Sunday afternoon.

Liverpool have already played seven pre-season bounce games and shipped 11 goals in that time, albeit they’ve won five of their outings.

Virgil van Dijk urges Liverpool work on their defence

But that is where the problem lies for Van Dijk as he vowed to work harder to shut up shop and concede less goals when the real competition finally gets going.

“If it was that simple, I would have told you immediately and we would have fixed it,” Van Dijk said.

“But it’s a combination. You defend as a team, you press as a team.

“I don’t know how many chances we give away [against Palace], but I think there’s still maybe a handful in total. But the fact is that we conceded every game, apart from Stoke. That’s something we have to work on.

“I’m not worried whatsoever, because there’s also a reason why we’re very defensively good last year. We have to get back to it.”

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Last season’s Premier League champions only conceded more than one club in the division last year – Arsenal lost only 34 league strikes all term – while the Reds shipped just 41 in 38 outings.

It is a statistic Van Dijk and the rest of his teammates clearly take pride in and would hope to improve this year.

Bolstering their backline would certainly be a start for the new campaign and Marc Guehi is on Liverpool’s transfer radar.

The Crystal Palace defender, 25, is entering the final year of his contract at Selhurst Park and has admirers at Anfield.

That interest comes as the club are lighter on options at the back with Joe Gomez sidelined through injury.

Liverpool also recently sold Jarell Quansah to Bayer Leverkusen for £35million earlier in this window and that has also accelerated Arne Slot’s need for new bodies.

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Van Dijk is not worried about more signings arriving this window with the club already bringing in Jeremie Frimpong, Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike while left-back Milos Kerkez was also recruited.

On Liverpool strengthening further, VVD added: “I’m fully trusting the club to do the right thing.

“What they think is good for the club, we’ll see in the next couple of weeks.”

A new striker is also on the agenda for Slot and his side.

Alexander Isak is wanted from Newcastle albeit there remains an impasse between Isak and Liverpool.

They have since turned their attentions towards Bradley Barcola of PSG.