Van Dijk Not Talking to Milan as Liverpool Refuses to Sell, Report Says

Virgil van Dijk is not in talks with AC Milan. That’s according to Italian journalist Nicolo Schira, who shot down rumors that the Serie A club was trying to pry the Liverpool captain away from Anfield this summer.

Schira posted on X that there are “no talks ongoing” between Van Dijk’s camp and Milan, adding that Liverpool “don’t want to sell him.” The clarification comes after a handful of conflicting reports from Italy and Turkey had fans guessing where the Dutch center-back might end up.

The Turkish rumors had Van Dijk “very close” to Galatasaray. Now there’s chatter that former Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim wants him at Milan. Amorim reportedly sees Van Dijk as the kind of veteran presence who could stabilize a defense. But that salary — reported at around £400,000 a week — is a big hurdle for any club in Italy.

Liverpool has already lost Mohamed Salah, Ibrahima Konate, and Andy Robertson this offseason. That’s a lot of experience walking out the door. Alisson and Alexis Mac Allister have also been linked with moves. So if the Reds are trying to hold onto their captain, the timing makes sense.

Van Dijk took some heat last season. His partnership with Konate got shredded at times, and Dutch legend Rafael van der Vaart went after him during the national team’s recent game against Japan. Van der Vaart told NOS he was “shocked” by Van Dijk’s movement, specifically how slow he was turning. He compared the Liverpool captain to a Boeing 747 trying to change direction. Harsh, but it got people talking.

On the bright side for Liverpool fans, new signing Jeremy Jacquet can’t stop praising Van Dijk. The French defender was officially announced Wednesday and said he’s looking forward to playing alongside a guy he considers one of the best center-backs in the world. Jacquet told the club’s website he doesn’t like calling anyone an idol but admitted Van Dijk is someone he looks up to. He said he wants to learn as much as he can from the captain while they share the pitch.

So for now, at least, Van Dijk stays put. Liverpool needs him. And despite all the noise from Milan and Istanbul, there’s no deal coming down the pipeline — at least not this week.