With Arne Slot’s Euro 2024 hopes ending in disappointment, Virgil van Dijk, Cody Gakpo and Ryan Gravenberch could now be absentees from Liverpool’s tour of the United States after their elimination from the Euro 2024 Championship.
The Netherlands trio were left in the cold after being bundled out by England at the semi-final stage in Dortmund on Wednesday night with Ollie Watkins winning goal after Harry Kane’s penalty had cancelled out Xavi Simons’s opener.
Gravenberch was again an unused substitute while Van Dijk and Gakpo played the full game in Germany and the three Dutchmen will now be given around three weeks off before meeting up with their club colleagues ahead of the new Premier League campaign.
The trio’s return to club duty will coincide with the closing stages of the Reds’ pre-season tour of the United States in early August, which means a decision will be made on whether it would be worth flying the players across the Atlantic or alternatively have them report for duty on Merseyside at the AXA Training Centre instead.
The Reds will be kicking off their tour in a friendly match with La Liga side Real Betis in Pittsburgh on Friday July 26 before engaging with Manchester United on July 31 in Philadelphia.
The visit rounds off on August 3 in Columbia with a game against Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal and with Van Dijk, Gravenberch and Gakpo set to be on their holidays until the early days of next month, it’s likely the trio may link up on Merseyside.
The friendly with Sevilla at Anfield on August 11 is likely to feature Van Dijk, Gravenberch and Gakpo ahead of the season getting underway six days later at newly-promoted Ipswich Town.
The return to club duties for Van Dijk may be the catalyst for contract talks with Liverpool, with new sporting director Richard Hughes having officially started on June 1 when Van Dijk was preparing to get underway at the Euros.
Speaking about the contract issues of Van Dijk, Mohamad Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold, who are all now into the final 12 months of their terms, Hughes said: “The only concerns we have [players with one-year deals] is total commitment from the players to the cause; we are absolutely convinced that is the case.”
Head coach Arne Slot is naturally anxious for his captain to stay at the club and has already been in direct communications with Van Dijk since taking charge at the beginning of last month.
“I think in general every top player wants to win,” Slot said. “I assume and I am hoping Virgil first wants to win the Euros! Maybe not everything is in one line in that area! And then when he comes back after he enjoyed a few days of his holiday, he will come back and all these players want to win.
“They have the hunger to win. If you don’t have that, you’re not playing for a club like Liverpool. Did I sense a hunger to stay? I did, yeah.”
Van Dijk said last month: “We discussed everything. About the squad, but also about my personal situation. I am and will remain the captain and still have one year left on my contract.”