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Liverpool open talks to sign Premier League star who could be Van Dijk 2.0
Last season was full of triumph for Arne Slot in his debut campaign in the Liverpool hot seat. Anfield was euphoric, a cacophony of sound.
Now, however, it’s full of frustration. The Reds are nowhere near the title race and look set to surrender their Premier League title to either Arsenal or Manchester City.
It’s been a perplexing season, truth be told. Liverpool, on paper, had won the transfer window, signing the likes of Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike and Alexander Isak in big-money deals.
They also welcomed Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong to bolster the full-back positions. However, just six months or so on from bringing them to Merseyside, another left-back could be on the menu.
Liverpool looking to sign Premier League defender
News broke a few days ago that Tottenham Hotspur were looking to complete a surprise deal to sign Andrew Robertson from the Reds.
The Scot is out of contract at the end of the season and would be free to sign for a new club on a free transfer. However, until then, Liverpool could still demand a fee.
Some reports have suggested that the two clubs are discussing a deal worth £5m, but Slot is keen on keeping the left-back at Anfield.
If he does leave, then Liverpool have two contingency plans in mind to replace him, one of which involves recalling Kostas Tsimikas from his loan spell at Roma.
The other plan involves signing a new left-back with Fulham’s Antonee Robinson on their radar. That’s according to TEAMtalk, who report that talks have re-opened between the Cottagers and Liverpool regarding the American.
Part of the dialogue does actually involve Tsmikas with Liverpool exploring the possibility of sending the Greek to Craven Cottage for the remainder of the season.
The Liverpool hierarchy reportedly views a Robinson and Kerkez combination as ‘the ideal long-term solution’ to the left-hand side of their backline.
Why Robinson could be the new Van Dijk for Liverpool
It’s Christmas 2017 and Liverpool have just agreed an earth-shattering deal to sign Virgil van Dijk from Southampton.
A world-record fee for a defender of £75m has been paid and the rest, as they say, is history.
The Dutchman has become a legend at Anfield and is now known as a modern-day great on Merseyside. Since moving to Liverpool, he has won the lot, taking home a Premier League winner’s medal on two occasions and lifting the Champions League trophy.
Jurgen Klopp’s side needed the signing of Van Dijk to take his team to the next level and while Robinson isn’t quite as colossal, there are reasons to believe he could have a similar impact in the long-term for Slot.
Like Van Dijk, Robinson has taken the long way around to get to where he is today, coming via Everton and Wigan Athletic to now establish himself as “one of the best left-backs in the world” in the words of Sky Sports’ Dougie Critchley.
He’s now a genuine star at Fulham and as Van Dijk had at Southampton, he’s now outgrown a team lower down the English top-flight.
At Liverpool, he could thrive and he would surely surpass the more inexperienced Milos Kerkez. Like Robinson, Kerkez was one of the finest left-backs in the Premier League last term but has been rather suspect defensively at times. He has improved in recent weeks but the Fulham defender is undoubtedly more polished and refined at this stage in his career.
The numbers this term showcase exactly why that is the case.
|
Robinson vs Kerkez in 2025/26 |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Stat (per 90 mins) |
Robinson |
Kerkez |
|
Shots |
0.2 |
0.4 |
|
Chances created |
1.5 |
1.3 |
|
Take-ons completed |
0.7 |
0.6 |
|
Tackles made |
3.1 |
2.0 |
|
Aerial duel success |
56.25% |
54.9% |
|
Ground duel success |
57.14% |
65.56% |
|
Duels won |
5.1 |
5.1 |
|
Interceptions |
1.3 |
0.7 |
|
Ball recoveries |
5.5 |
3.4 |
|
Stats via Squawka/Opta. |
||
He knows his game inside and out and would represent a mighty fine replacement for the potentially departing Robertson. What Liverpool need if he leaves is a leader, and in Robinson, who has captained Fulham before, they’d find the ideal candidate.
The USA international doesn’t just share experience of English football as Van Dijk did – but they have shared leadership qualities. They inspire their teammates not just with their words but also with their performances on the pitch.
In the words of scout Ben Mattinson, he “has insane defensive numbers and anticipation”, much like Van Dijk has had throughout his career in English football.
Signing Robinson certainly feels like a no-brainer as far as Liverpool are concerned.
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