Liverpool
Van Dijk’s possible next move if Liverpool and captain split
Van Dijk has options ahead, with Liverpool and several overseas destinations in play.
Virgil van Dijk has made his position clear: the future is still open. “Let’s see what the season brings. I’ve had an amazing time already so far. If that will be extended, that’s the case. If not, then I will go somewhere else.”
Nearly nine years after arriving, the 35-year-old remains a defining figure at Liverpool and one of the club’s modern greats. The wider issue, as with Mohamed Salah before him, is how the club eventually manages the end of an era built around ageing stars.
Van Dijk may still agree a new deal for another year, but he will be able to talk to foreign clubs about a free transfer in just seven weeks’ time. If player and club do decide to go their separate ways at the end of the campaign, several destinations could emerge.
One obvious option is a reunion with Salah, whose move to north-eastern Türkiye has worked far better than many expected. The winger, 34, has already produced nine goals and three assists in his first ten Süper Lig matches and has become a major figure in Trabzon. Reports suggest he would welcome Van Dijk joining him next season, which would certainly draw attention.
Another route is the United States, a long-standing landing spot for major names looking to finish on their own terms. Inter Miami stand out as one possible fit. They conceded 59 goals in the 2026 MLS regular season, more than any other team in the Eastern Conference top seven, and have even used Casemiro at centre back for much of the campaign. Their usual transfer focus, though, tends to lean towards Spanish or Latin American players.
A third possibility is the Süper Lig champions. They have become regular buyers of proven out-of-contract players, but their reputation now goes beyond nostalgia. After winning the last four Turkish titles, they are aiming higher in Europe, and Van Dijk’s experience could strengthen that push. With 73 Champions League appearances and counting, his pedigree would be clear wherever he ends up.
Brighton & Hove Albion
Liverpool tracking Vušković, but Brighton deal could prove costly
Liverpool are monitoring Luka Vušković, but Brighton’s price, Madrid’s interest and a strong contract make
Liverpool are keeping close tabs on Brighton & Hove Albion defender Luka Vušković, but any move for the 19-year-old appears complicated from the outset. The Croatia international has been central to Brighton’s strong opening to the 2026/27 campaign, with the club sitting second in the Premier League after 10 matches.
Brighton have conceded only seven goals, a record bettered only by Arsenal, and Vušković has played a major part in a league-leading seven clean sheets. According to Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg, he is being “monitored regularly” by Liverpool ahead of the 2027 summer window, even though his current contract still has four years remaining.
The biggest issue for Liverpool is the price. There is no release clause in Vušković’s deal, which means Julian Ward would need to negotiate directly with Brighton. Reports suggest the club would seek about £85 million, a figure that could climb further if the defender continues his present form.
That would add to a long stretch of heavy spending for Liverpool, who have already reshaped their attack with Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz and Bradley Barcola. As a result, another major outlay may be difficult to justify.
There is also a separate concern for Liverpool. Vušković’s “dream” is to join Real Madrid one day, and that could complicate matters further. The Spanish club have repeatedly beaten Liverpool in the market in recent years, most notably with Trent Alexander-Arnold and Ibrahima Konaté on free transfers, while also winning battles for Jude Bellingham, Dean Huijsen and Yan Diomande.
Madrid may decide to step up their interest at the end of the current campaign, especially with Antonio Rüdiger expected to leave when his contract expires next year.
Liverpool have spent the last 18 months searching for young centre backs who can eventually succeed Virgil van Dijk. The club captain, now 35, is out of contract next summer, though he has not ruled out staying. After the win at Crystal Palace, he said: “Let’s see what the season brings,” Van Dijk said after last weekend’s win at Crystal Palace. “I’ve had an amazing time already so far. If that will be extended, that’s the case. If not, then I will go somewhere else.”
If Van Dijk does depart, Liverpool believe they have options in place. Jérémy Jacquet has made an impressive start since arriving last summer, Giovanni Leoni is highly rated despite his ACL injury on debut last term, and Ifeanyi Ndukwe could yet be recalled in January after his loan spell at Levante helped him become eligible for a work permit in the United Kingdom.
Liverpool
Rashford’s injury setback and what it could mean for Manchester United’s Liverpool trip
Rashford’s latest recovery plan could put him in line for Liverpool after the break.
Marcus Rashford has now missed Manchester United’s last five matches, a spell that has kept him largely out of the spotlight while scrutiny has fallen elsewhere in recent weeks.
There had been optimism that he could be brought back into the side this season after his hoped-for move to Barcelona collapsed, with the Catalan club deciding Anthony Gordon represented a better investment. Since returning to England, though, Rashford has still not registered a goal or assist.
His difficulties may help explain why a player who delivered 28 goal contributions last season, largely from an understudy role, has struggled to influence games as a starter. That has come at a time when the issue for the team has not been scoring goals.
Rashford has not looked fully fit since the World Cup, when he first picked up a hip problem. He was included by England for the September-October international window, but withdrew before reporting. After club football resumed, he played just one minute off the bench against Tottenham Hotspur, then went on to feature for 66 minutes in Madrid.
With no other appearances behind him, Thomas Tuchel opted for other choices when naming his November squad last week.
The problem is now understood to be more than a hip issue. The Telegraph reported that it has spread to his groin, and that is the injury keeping him out. He is said to have visited a groin specialist in Dublin with a member of Manchester United’s medical staff.
Rashford is described as having “played through the pain” in an effort to help Carrick, who did not close the door on him despite the summer suggesting a permanent separation was the preferred outcome for the player. The approach worsened the issue. He even reportedly offered to take a place on the bench for the Halloween defeat to Chelsea, but the club turned down the offer.
The Ireland visit brought a “new recovery program”, and there is cautious hope that he could be available for the first game after the international break on Nov. 22. That would mean Liverpool at Anfield.
It would be a significant stage for a homegrown Manchester United player. Rashford has already delivered against Liverpool before, scoring in FA Cup wins in 2021 and 2024, and netting the winner in a Premier League game in 2022.
Chelsea
Ngumoha explains why Liverpool move was an easy call after Chelsea exit
Ngumoha says Liverpool offered him a clearer route to first-team football than Chelsea ever could.
Rio Ngumoha has described his switch from Chelsea to Liverpool as an obvious decision, saying the promise of a clearer route to first-team football made the move straightforward.
Chelsea were frustrated to lose a highly rated youngster, with Liverpool eventually paying a minimum of $3.7 million after a tribunal. But for Ngumoha, the attraction of a defined pathway at Anfield outweighed everything else.
“I feel like I needed a new challenge,” Ngumoha told The Guardian. “Liverpool gave me a new pathway. The plan that they set for me was straightforward. It was a no-brainer. They just said if I prove myself then they know that I would definitely be a star for them in the making.”
The 18-year-old has already begun to justify that faith. After making his debut in the 2024-25 season, he went on to feature 29 times the following campaign, a year highlighted by a late winner against Newcastle United in the Premier League.
Arne Slot provided the platform for his breakthrough, and Ngumoha is now benefiting from fresh leadership. Andoni Iraola has given him regular starts and useful minutes from the bench, with the forward generally impressing and adding two assists.
Ngumoha also sees the Ballon d’Or as a realistic target in the future, helped by the wider impact of Harry Kane’s success. “Harry Kane winning the Ballon d’Or is definitely a big thing,” said the teenager. “It’s also helped English football now because everyone’s seen one of us win the Ballon d’Or , it is definitely encouraging many more people to want to be known as the best player in the world.
“For me, I would like to achieve it and I think I can do it.”
He will have the chance to discuss that ambition with Kane during the current international break, after being named once more in Thomas Tuchel’s England squad.
Ngumoha’s departure also reflects a familiar pattern. Chelsea’s habit of collecting elite young talent has often led to players seeking opportunities elsewhere, and he joins the likes of Marc Guéhi, Lewis Hall, Tino Livramento and Michael Olise in leaving Stamford Bridge in search of a clearer route to senior soccer.
Even so, Chelsea’s approach has not changed. Last summer they spent $167 million on four players aged 22 or under, yet minutes have remained hard to find. Dastan Satpayev has already gone on loan, while Geovany Quenda, Marco Palestra and Valentín Barco have managed only four Premier League starts between them.
