Real reportedly eye Van Dijk on a 2027 free, with no Liverpool offer

📰 According to Mundo Deportivo, Real Madrid are considering doing a Konaté-style free transfer for Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk. 📌 Key points 🗣️ Mundo Deportivo says Real are monitoring Van Dijk ahead of his 2027 free agency. ✍️ According to the same report, Liverpool have not yet made a formal renewal offer. 🗓️ His contract runs out in summer 2027, and he is now 35. 🔁 Real signed Ibrahima Konaté from Liverpool on a free this summer. 🇮🇹 Italian reports also link AC Milan with the Dutchman. 📝 What happened 🗣️ Mundo Deportivo reported that Real Madrid are keeping an eye on Van Dijk's contract situation. His deal expires in summer 2027, and the paper says Liverpool have yet to put a formal extension on the table. Once he enters the final six months, he can agree a pre-contract with a foreign club, so the race could heat up from January. 🔁 Madrid have form here: they signed Konaté for nothing this summer when his Liverpool contract ended, and Mundo Deportivo suggested "that same deal could be repeated with Van Dijk". Big-name free agents have become a regular part of Real's recruitment. 🧱 The timing fits. With Raúl Asencio out for up to four months after surgery and Konaté injured, Real's centre-back options are thin, and Antonio Rüdiger's contract is also running down. 🔵 There is other interest too. GOAL reports that Barcelona were offered Van Dijk but declined because Hansi Flick prefers to prioritise young players, while Italian media say AC Milan owner Gerry Cardinale is keen. 📊 By the numbers • Van Dijk's age: 35 • Liverpool contract expires: summer 2027 • 2019 Ballon d'Or: runner-up 🔭 Why it matters Whether to extend their captain's deal is one of Liverpool's biggest decisions this season. A long contract is a risk at his age, but doing nothing could mean losing another key defender to Real for free. Watch for a decision around January 2027, when the final six months of his deal begin.