Liverpool is going all in and will offer £25 million for this defender

For starters, the situation with Virgil van Dijk’s future at the club is still unclear. Liverpool’s captain is due to be out of contract at the end of the season, and although an offer has been made to retain his services and there is in general more confidence about him than Trent Alexander-Arnold or Mohamed Salah, nothing can ever be taken for granted until anything is signed.

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Furthermore, there is increasing competition for Hato. Real Madrid and Chelsea both enquired about his situation recently and have prepared the ground for a possible move in the summer. For this reason, Liverpool are evaluating whether to anticipate their approach to avoid a fierce battle for Hato.

Liverpool Could Make Surprise January Move for Ajax Starlet

Arne Slot highly values him for his versatility as a centre-back and as a left-back and considers his potential, combined with his young age, an excellent mix for a player of potentially very high value.

Ajax would not want to lose him in this winter transfer window, but for an offer of around €30m (£25.2m/$31.5m) – also in light of their financial situation – they could evaluate his sale now.

The Reds are making internal assessments on the next concrete steps to take and have not yet made a definitive decision, but the feeling is that a concrete move from Liverpool could come very soon.