Former Chelsea defender Khalid Boulahrouz has urged Liverpool to target Micky van de Ven as a long-term replacement for captain Virgil van Dijk
Khalid Boulahrouz believes Liverpool should look to sign Micky van de Ven, labelling the Dutchman as the ‘ideal successor’ to Reds captain Virgil van Dijk. The 24-year-old joined Tottenham Hotspur in a move worth up to £43m from VfL Wolfsburg in the summer of 2023.
However, he had also repeatedly been linked with a move to Anfield at the time, having previously been signed by then-Liverpool sporting director Jorg Schmadtke for the Bundesliga outfit in the first place.
The centre-back has impressed for Spurs this season under Thomas Frank, bouncing back strongly after an injury-plagued campaign last term. Scoring six goals from 16 appearances, the Dutchman has also helped his side keep seven clean sheets so far this season.
And with Van Dijk not getting any younger, former Chelsea defender Boulahrouz insists that Van de Ven would be the perfect long-term replacement for the 34-year-old for both club and country.
“I think he's the ideal successor to Virgil van Dijk, both in the Dutch national team and at Liverpool,” the former Netherlands international told ESPN NL. "And Liverpool aren't crazy: if you're looking for a world-class left centre-back and you have the money, you'll quickly end up with Van de Ven.
"The same goes for the Dutch national team. I think Koeman has long since realized that Van Dijk's successor is already out there.
"He's (Van de Ven) really outperforming them. He's physically strong and incredibly quick. Opponents know that, so they don't even try to get past him anymore.
“He could still do better on the ball; he makes the occasional blunder. But overall, I think he's fantastic.”
Van Dijk signed a new two-year contract with Liverpool back in April before captaining the Reds to the Premier League title, but has come in for criticism this season as Arne Slot’s side continue to struggle.
Boulahrouz has defended his compatriot though, insisting he is still world class. But he concedes that after so many years at the highest level with Liverpool, Van Dijk might be nearing a time when he starts to slow down.
"Virgil is still undisputed in the Dutch national team,” he said. “Even though Liverpool haven't been performing quite as well lately. Diogo Jota's passing has had a huge impact on the squad.
“In addition, many new players have joined. That has an impact, and you can see that with Van Dijk. But despite that, he remains a world-class player.
“The question, of course, is what Virgil will do after the World Cup. Playing in the Premier League for years has taken its toll. You might long for a bit of a break.”