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Arne Slot shares what wowed him about Virgil van Dijk in his first Liverpool training session
Liverpool are in a great place at present as they sit top of the Premier League table and the Champions League standings.
The Reds are also ಞin the Carabao Cup semi-finals and will be among the favourites to win the FA Cup when 🔥they begin their campaign in the third round this month.
Liverpool have enjoyed a seamless transition from Jurgen Klopp to Arne Slot, who h🌠as been a revelation s♔ince taking the reins at Anfield last summer.
The Reds boast a star-studded squad with some of the best players in the world, led b🧔y captain Virgil van Dijk.
Slot, speaking at his press conference ahead of Sunday’s Premier League game with Manchester United, explained what makes Van Dijk so special😼.
Arne Slot says Virgil van Dijk’s ball possession wowed him in Liverpool training
Slot told the that Van Dijk is a “complete player” who﷽se ball possession blew him away the first time he took training with his new team.
“I have to make a long list because the best players in the world have so mꦚany great attributes,” began Slot.
“I thinဣk Virgil has a lot of game intelligence, so he reads the game really well. He’s big and strong, he’s fast.
“I was impressed by how he is in ball possession – that was from the first session I did, I ꧟was like, ‘Wow!’ He can delay his choice and he can wait for the las𝓀t moment to play a ball through the lines.
“He’s a complete player, which is the same like Mo – otherwise you don’t belong to the best players in the wor🔥ld or the best player in൩ the world in your position.
“One of the reasons is that they hardly have anythin♎g that is not good enough.”
Slot admits Van Dijk could yet improve
Slot also said even a “complete” veteran like Van Dijk could yet imp🌳rove a bit, but he said this was a conversation that would stay between himself and th𒁏e player.
“Of course, even for Virgil there are some things of his game we would like to see he could improve on a ဣbit,” admitted Slot. “[You’re] probably going to ask me what but I’m telling Virgil this!
“But he’s༒🦋 doing outstanding for us. One of the things I didn’t say but I said in many other press conferences, he’s also the one that leads the team from start to finish.
“And by start to finish I mean if we go out on the training ground, the moment I blow my whistle and t💛he exercise starts I will hear for ♏sure one player and that’s Virgil.
“He brings a lot of positive energy to the club as well and a lot of pos🧔itive energy in the group.”
The latest on Van Dijk’s future at Liverpool
Fabrizio Romano r🍰ecently claimed on his YouTube channel that Liverpool are “pushing” to agree new deals with ��Van Dijk, Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold.
The transfer inside𒉰r has also reported that the Reds have confidence they’ll thrash out agreements with Van Dijk and Salah in particular.
“Behind the scenes Liverpool insist they are negotiating with all three playe🀅rs – Van Dijk, Salah and Alexander-Arnold,” said Romano.
“They are absolutely pushing with all of them and especially with Van Dijk and Salah Liverpool maintain their confidence to find a way, to find an agrꦐeement.
“But at the moment, still no breakthrough in negotiations. So the talks continue and Liverpool maintain that they keep insisting, they keep ❀talking. But at the moment there is no green light.
“For Trent, as I told you several times, Real Madrid are t🀅here, but still nothing done or agreed [between Alexander-Arnold and Real Madrid].”
Paul Merson criticised𝔉 Liverpool for their star trio’s contract 💦situation, claiming it’s “unheard of” in football.