Soccer
Virgil van Dijk trusts the Liverpool hierarchy to make the correct decisions in the transfer market, as the Reds hunt reinforcements after Sunday’s draw with Newcastle United.
Liverpool looked to be on course for a shock defeat in their first Premier League game under Andoni Iraola, only for Dominik Szoboszlai’s stoppage-time penalty to salvage a 2-2 draw.
Despite producing an underwhelming performance on Tyneside, Liverpool remain unbeaten on matchday one in the Premier League in each of the last 14 seasons (since 2013-14), the longest active run in the competition.
Van Dijk started alongside new summer recruit Jeremy Jacuqet at the heart of Iraola’s defence, with Barcelona loanee Ronald Araujo then coming on to partner the Dutchman for the final 20 minutes.
Vitor Munoz – who was a target for Newcastle before opting to join Liverpool from Osasuna – also came off the bench to win the penalty that Szoboszlai converted.
But that trio are the only senior additions to Liverpool’s squad this summer, with their hunt for attacking reinforcements likely to be stepped up in the final week of the transfer window, with the Reds yet to replace Mohamed Salah following his move to Trabzonspor.
Paris Saint-Germain forward Bradley Barcola has been strongly linked with them in recent weeks, while they have also seen a bid rejected for Brighton winger Yankuba Minteh.
“Everyone wants to see quality arrive,” captain Van Dijk said. “I fully trust the club and the board to make the right decisions. That’s the only thing I can say.
“Let’s see what they do. Regardless of what happens, we are Liverpool and we have to give everything.
“For us, we have to show a reaction from last year. We have nothing to prove to the outside world, in my opinion. It is up to us.
Safe trip home, Reds pic.twitter.com/KwnhFfu4Vc
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) August 23, 2026
“The way we train, the way we approach games, it is down to us to show a reaction. Last year it was very unacceptable, but that was last year.
“I don’t want to talk about that – we are looking forward and looking to improve.”
Liverpool had 27 shots to Newcastle’s 13 on Sunday, also winning the expected goals (xG) battle by 2.98 to 1.58, and Van Dijk felt there were plenty of positives in their performance, particularly as they are still adapting to Iraola’s methods.
“It is so early in the season that if we start panicking about what could have happened today, then we won’t be in a good place,” Van Dijk said.
“It is down to us to make sure we improve quickly, and that is what we try to do on the training ground. There were some good things, but also things that we have to improve.
“Hopefully, next week it will be very close to what [Iraola] wants us to do. Like I say, we work on it every day. We do long hours on the training ground and that will only benefit all of us.”
Liverpool host Nottingham Forest on matchday two of the Premier League season, on Saturday, before visiting Ipswich Town the following week.
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