Virgil van Dijk’s former Southampton teammate Jose Fonte has urged Liverpool to sign a Newcastle United defender to replace him.

Reds skipper Van Dijk is set to enter the final six months of his contract at Anfield, sparking uncertainty over his future with foreign teams allowed to discuss the possibility of a move next summer early January.

Reports suggest the Dutchman wants to extend his stay in Merseyside, and a deal may not be far away, but he is yet to put pen to paper.

Even though Van Dijk could still commit his future to Liverpool, the club’s hierarchy will still look at options to replace him in the short or long term.

Fonte, who now plays in Portugal with Casa Pia, believes the Reds should look no further than Newcastle’s Sven Botman, with whom he played for Lille in France, to replace the talismanic Dutchman.

Fonte was speaking to JeffBet (via The Mag) when explaining the qualities Botman, 24, would bring to Liverpool.

“I would love to see Sven Botman replace Virgil van Dijk at Liverpool and I think he has the ability to do that.

“We won the championship together in France and like Van Dijk, he’s a monster. He is tall, very good in duels, he plays as a left central defender, he loves tackling, he is aggressive and still young.

“I just hope he can continue his progress after his injury and stay healthy.”

Before his move to St James’ Park in 2022, Liverpool were linked with a move for the Netherlands Under-21 international, but never pushed for the transfer even though Van Dijk, Joel Matip and Joe Gomez were all injured in the long term.

Botman is currently recovering from an anterior cruciate knee injury, and potential suitors will want to see how he returns long-term following major surgery.

The Anfield bosses’ priority remains to extend their captain’s contract, and they will be desperate to do so as he plays near his best and has been hugely influential in helping Arne Slot make an excellent start in life as the new director of the club. Coach.