Arne Slot explains Liverpool transfer plan and Virgil van Dijk hope - 'This club is not stupid'

Liverpool has to think about what life will look like without Virgil van Dijk, with Arne Slot explaining that the signing of Jeremy Jacquet will feed into those plans in the summer

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot embraces his captain, Virgil van Dijk(Image: Eric Verhoeven/Soccrates/Getty Images)

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot says the signing of Jeremy Jacquet feeds into a wider transfer strategy of targeting young players with very high ceilings — with one eye admittedly on life beyond Virgil van Dijk.

Van Dijk is tied down until the summer of 2027 on the deal he penned just under a year ago, but will turn 35 in the summer. In addition to Jacquet, Liverpool also spent around $35 million (£26 million) on Giovanni Leoni last summer.

"You are longer here than I am, so if I tell you that this club does everything they do with a reason, then I don't think you are surprised," Slot said during his pre-Manchester City press conference.

"Everything that is done is never from panic. It's always long term idea or something that is thought about for a long time and not by just one person, but by multiple persons.

"We are aware of the fact that Virgil won't play for this club for 10 more years. But he has one and a half years left. He will be with us for that period and maybe even longer if he keeps staying as fit as he is now.

"As I said before, what a compliment to him, at his age, to keep playing every three days. Not only for our club, but also for his country, for seven or eight months already.

Jeremy Jacquet (left) in action for Rennes against Marseille(Image: Getty Images)

"Hopefully he can stay as fit as he is for multiple years, but this club is not stupid. We do know somewhere in the upcoming years, there is life for this club without Virgil.

"You are now talking about Virgil, but you can say this for every position. This club is not only thinking about the short-term future, but also for the mid to long-term future as well."

Slot was also asked about his left-back, with Milos Kerkez, who — the Bournemouth game aside — has been in considerably better form across the last month or six weeks.

Signed from Bournemouth for a fee of around $54 million (£40 million), the Hungary international is set to be another key pillar of the Reds defense moving forward.

"What has changed with him? It's what you get when you play longer and if you keep playing those players when they sometimes have moments that aren't as good as others," Slot explained.

"This is also normal for younger players and you can just keep trusting and believing in them. We know who we signed, his potential and he has shown that if you keep playing him.

"There are a lot of games to play and it was a combination of Premier League and Champions League for him, so I am happy to have Andy Robertson as well because he has helped the team. He is a young player we've signed where the best of him is yet to come."