Who could replace Van Dijk?

The Dutchman will definitely be leaving, and I think we should applaud him for the service that he has given the club, he has performed brilliantly and been a true asset to our defence. I’ll highlight some of his key attributes and suggest players that may fit the bill for a replacement. Note that these players have to have a style of play that fits into Ronny’s system, for a CB, that seems to be very attacking-minded, often with a very high line.

Virgil’s Attributes

Young – Virgil is only 24, quite young for a first-team centre-back so we should be looking at someone at around this age

Aerial presence – Van Dijk was rarely beaten in the air, both due to his physique and his defensive abilities, this is an obvious trait for a centre-back but it’s worth noting.

Good feet – The Dutchman was very good with the ball at his feet, carrying the ball forward at the right opportunity to open up the gaps in the midfield

Great passing ability – For Ronny’s system the CB must have great passing ability, whether it’s a long pass to Griffiths, or a simple short pass to a midfielder to pick up the ball, being good on the ball is essential

Set-piece taker – This is a much more unique attribute that not many defenders possess, the ability to take a great free-kick.

Long-range shooting – His ability to strike the ball from long-range is an asset to any team, especially when he can drive at a team from his own half.

It appears that I have created some sort of dream defender, this just shows how great Van Dijk is. Taking into account the amount of money we would normally spend in a transfer window, I would estimate our budget to be around £4 million to replace his accordingly. This would also factor in the transfer fee for Van Dijk, which you would assume to be above £10 million. These players will have to be available to buy, or at least loan, so if they are an integral part of their current club and would not be likely to leave, they will not be on this list. Some may not fit the bill completely, but that has to be expected with such a low transfer budget with many top teams looking for a top-class centre-back.

Ron Vlaar

Although the 30-year-old Dutchman has an injury that could last for a few months, he could be worth taking a punt on as he is now a free agent departing from Aston Villa. Vlaar has a great physical presence mixed with lots of experience, so he would obviously do well from a defensive standpoint. However, he does not offer much in terms of attacking ability and tends to not be the most agile of players, which could leave him exposed when playing a high-line. We do need a player with leadership skills in order to keep Boyata in line, so Vlaar would be a good fit, but I would consider this player a bit of a risk in our current setup, obviously getting him on a free is a bonus.

Jonny Evans