The Netherlands international’s current contract at Anfield runs until the summer of 2027, but reports in the British media claim Liverpool have yet to offer him an extension.
That uncertainty has prompted speculation over Van Dijk’s next destination, with several clubs reportedly monitoring the situation, reports Mundo Deportivo.
Real Madrid are one of the names being mentioned, particularly because the Spanish giants could potentially sign the experienced defender without paying a transfer fee if he reaches the end of his Liverpool contract.
AC Milan, Inter Miami and Galatasaray have also been linked with the 35-year-old.
Van Dijk has been at Liverpool since joining from Southampton in January 2018 and has gone on to become one of the most important figures in the club’s modern era.
He remains Liverpool captain and a regular for the Netherlands, despite now being in the latter stages of his career.
A move to Madrid would also follow the Spanish club’s recent recruitment of another Liverpool defender.
Real Madrid signed Ibrahima Konate as a free agent during the summer after the French centre-back’s Liverpool contract expired, although the situations are not identical given Van Dijk’s current deal still has another season to run.
Liverpool have yet to indicate that they definitely intend to allow Van Dijk to leave, and the defender remains under contract at Anfield until June 2027.
The lack of a reported renewal offer has nevertheless created uncertainty around what happens beyond that date.
For Real Madrid, the possibility of adding a player with Van Dijk’s experience without a transfer fee would fit the type of opportunity the club has pursued with established players in recent years.
Any move remains some way off, with Van Dijk still a Liverpool player and his future beyond the end of his current contract yet to be settled.
The coming months should provide a clearer indication of whether Liverpool intend to extend the captain’s stay or whether the defender will enter the final year of his contract with his future increasingly open.