Liverpool's bold Virgil van Dijk replacement announces himself

Liverpool's bold Virgil van Dijk replacement announces himself Virgil van Dijk 's true successor has fully announced himself now. What a bold signing this would be for Liverpool. Yes, we're firmly at the stage now where Liverpool actually have to consider Virgil van Dijk's successor. The Dutchman is turning 36 next summer and his contract will expire. We're no longer sure that Liverpool will renew it. Van Dijk is defying all historical precedent with his current displays but time will inevitably catch up with him. The club will not want to have their captain on massive deal when he does finally drop out of the elite level. That may simply mean there's no new contract arriving. But even if it does, Liverpool need to make sure they've got his successor lined up. Maybe that's Jeremy Jacquet but putting all of their eggs in that basket won't be enough. For one, Liverpool only have Jacquet and Giovanni Leoni contracted to them at centre-back beyond this season. They will need to sign more defenders and that means finding players who can step into Van Dijk's shoes alongside the Frenchman. Jacobo Ramon is the one There was a lovely reminder in midweek that Jacobo Ramon is truly the next big thing at centre-back. There is arguably no player more primed to take over from Van Dijk as the world’s dominant centre-back as the Spaniard. Ramon is 6ft 5, he’s quick, he’s still only 21 and he’s just completed one of the best seasons in Europe. Our Value Adder model had him as the 6th most valuable centre-back in Europe’s top five leagues last season when adjusted for league strength. He was the only centre-back under 24 in the top 20 and one of only three in the top 35. A special, special talent, in other words. But it’s how he brings this value that draws Van Dijk comparisons. In fact, 2023/24 Van Dijk is one of the two most similar attacking profiles to Ramon last season. He had considerably more shots than anyone else at centre-back in Serie A last season (over 3 standard deviations above the mean). Ramon sat 2 std above the mean for aerial duels, too, and was above the 93rd percentile among centre-backs for weighted attacking actions and just completing passes in general. The fact he was also a part of a fantastic defence at Como just adds to it. A brilliant defender with the attacking qualities of Van Dijk and he’s only 21. And then there was that reminder. Ramon helped dominate a game against Manchester United, one in which they took a commanding 4-0 lead before conceding a consolation in stoppage time. The defender himself capped this off, storming up the pitch to score from open play in a display of elite confidence. This is the player Liverpool need to replace Van Dijk - someone operating on a different level to the rest, much as the Reds’ captain has done for years.