Richard Hughes talks confirm future Virgil Van Dijk replacement

There are certain players in Arne Slot's squad where the idea of replacing them is unimaginable.

Alisson Becker's brilliance in between the goalposts over the last eight years has been so remarkable to watch, that the team has literally got away with murder at times, taking home undeserved results.

In his injury absence, recent signing Giorgi Mamardashvili has performed admirably, pulling off a couple of mind-boggling saves against Aston Villa and Real Madrid, although he's a different keeper.

Likewise, the Reds will struggle to replace Virgil Van Dijk when the Dutchman hangs up his boots - although we're not expecting him to do so anytime soon. The defender has been a true revelation since he moved to Merseyside, becoming one of the archetypal centre-backs of his generation.

Sadly, the reality is that Liverpool will need to find a way to replace him in the next few years, and it's going to be one of the biggest challenges of FSG's time at the club. Naturally, work on this project has already started, and one candidate might have to what it takes to cover him in a particular aspect.

Szoboszlai to replace Van Dijk?

Dominik Szoboszlai's standing at the club has grown massively across 2025, delivering monumental performances when Arne Slot has needed him most, and this season, he's been without doubt the Reds' best player on the pitch each week. It's nothing short of remarkable how impressive he's been.

At times he's covered the right-back spot, alongside playing high up the pitch when Florian Wirtz's involvement has caused issues in the midfield, on top of him regularly playing in his favoured No. 8.

The Hungarian's running was always one of his biggest strengths, but since Liverpool's major issue has been connecting the defence to the attack, he's put in extra shifts throughout this campaign, popping up in random areas to give the team an additional player at times when we're outnumbered.

Not only has the team benefitted in a defensive sense, but we've also noticed a difference with the forwards as well. In 15 matches played, the 25-year-old has two goals and five assists to his name.

Even though his contract doesn't expire until 2028, we've already seen Liverpool take the initiative with him and Ryan Gravenberch pencilled in for talks to hopefully extend their stay on Merseyside.

It makes a lot of sense to tie the Dutchman down, given he's still only 23 and going from strength to strength in each season he plays. He's one of the best midfielders in the Premier League right now, and the things he's capable of doing on the ball are like very few other technicians on the market.

Szoboszlai's contract talks, however, suggest that Liverpool hold him in very high esteem, looking to take the Hungarian into his 30s. We've already seen Slot begin to mould the team around Szoboszlai this season, but in future, we could see him be given even more responsibility - the captaincy.

It's in this regard how Van Dijk's replacement is currently being considered. The defender has worn the armband for a few years now, since Jordan Henderson left the club in 2023, and it's clear that you've got to have a specific reputation, alongside the relevant leadership skills, in order to succeed.

Szoboszlai is currently the captain for the Hungarian national team and his selfless attitude in the midfield is exactly what Slot will be wanting see from his candidates to replace the Dutchman. As such, while I'm definitely reading into Richard Hughes' contract talks, the idea would make sense.

In terms of replacing Van Dijk as a defensive asset, Borussia Dortmund's Nico Schlotterbeck is currently being rumoured as a potential target, since he is BVB's current captain, although it would be unlikely that Liverpool would give a new signing the position of leadership straight away.

As mentioned earlier, it's hoped that the Dutchman can continue to deliver for the Reds for a good few years still to come, but given he's now 34 years old, we'll have to move on from him eventually.

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