Liverpool's €115m Van Dijk replacement plan is already in motion

13 Aug 2026 08:34 BST | 4 min read

Robin Bairner | Chief Editor

Accredited football journalist and editor covering the game since 2006

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The Virgil van Dijk era is coming to an end at Liverpool, but Andoni Iraola, Richard Hughes and the recruitment team at Anfield have set into action a foolproof €115 million plan to replace the Dutch great.

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Van Dijk came close to leaving Liverpool last summer when his previous contract was ticking down. Although he agreed a new deal, this will come to an end next summer, by which time he will be closing in on his 36th birthday.

VVD will have spent close to 10 seasons at Anfield at that point, but it will surely be time for him to either take a lesser role or leave the club. And Liverpool have prepared themselves for that eventuality with a smart €115m replacement program.

Current ETV

Virgil van Dijk

D (C)

Liverpool

Virgil van Dijk

D (C)

Liverpool

ETV Range

€4.9M - €6.7M

Van Dijk’s replacements lined up

Liverpool have been preparing for this day for months, with their plan clicking into action last summer.

The deal that took Jarrell Quansah to Bayer Leverkusen is central to their plans. They sold the young centre-back to the Bundesliga club in a deal worth €35m but crucially included a buy-back clause worth €60m that will come into effect next summer.

Quansah may be a Leverkusen player, but it’s Liverpool who control his future. The 23-year-old has gained game time and experience in Germany, with his Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) peaking at €46.9m since moving. Steeped in the club’s history, there’s little doubt he will be a strong option to return.

© IMAGO - Jarrell Quansah, Bayer Leverkusen

And now Hughes has bought Liverpool an insurance option via a loan move for Barcelona’s Ronald Araujo – a player once branded the world’s best centre-back by ex-Blaugrana head coach Xavi Hernandez.

Araujo will spend the next season at Anfield in what could be seen as a dress rehearsal to take Van Dijk’s spot as the leader of the Liverpool rearguard.

The Uruguayan comes off the back of a difficult season at Barcelona on many levels, yet his potential is undoubted and the deal appears a low-risk gamble to bring some additional experience to Merseyside following the departure of Ibrahima Konate.

Crucially, Liverpool have agreed a purchase option worth €55m for Araujo.

Liverpool have given themselves options

While the inevitable departure of Van Dijk from Liverpool’s starting XI grows ever closer, the Anfield side have put in place the structure to ensure a seamless transition.

Both Quansah and Araujo (by next summer) will be intimately familiar with the workings of the club, giving the Reds two strong shots at having a ready-made replacement for the Dutchman. It may be that they even sign both for a combined €115m in a deal that would totally renovate the rearguard.

Liverpool’s business at the back might have been criticised last summer for leaving Arne Slot short of options, but the long-term outlook is far rosier on Merseyside, even if the iconic figure of Van Dijk is entering his final months at the club.