Chelsea get clear Virgil van Dijk transfer statement as shock January agreement finally reached
There is less than 48 hours to go in the January transfer window and Chelsea are yet to sign a single player. Compare that to last year when they were locked in talks for Enzo Fernandez, a deal that went deep into deadline day and ended up breaking the British transfer record, it has been quiet.
The Blues agreed moves for eight players 12 months ago but this time have been coy and cautious in their business. Mauricio Pochettino has added depth, but not necessarily strength, to his first team group via loans, and with less than two days to go until things wrap up for six months, football.london has taken a look at the latest rumours.
Van Dijk dilemma
Jurgen Klopp has fired a sharp response to rumours of his Liverpool team being broken apart after he announced a surprise exit last week. It comes as a host of his current stars enter their final 18 months contracted with the club.
This time next year, if nothing is done, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Virgil van Dijk would both be able to negotiate their exit from the club for free. As Klopp also moved into his final year and a half at Anfield, the announcement of his departure has thrown things up in the air.
“That’s a big question,” the Reds captain said when asked if he would be around to lead the club into the next stage, even without Klopp. “Well, I don’t know.” When further pushed on needing to extend his deal in order to remain, he said: “That is correct – good maths. Listen, I don’t know.
“The club will have a big job on their hands, that is well known. To replace the manager and replace not only the manager, the staff is leaving, and there are so many things that will change.
“So the club has a big job on its hands and I am very curious which direction that will go in. But when that will be announced we will see our situation, I can’t say now.”
Klopp himself wasn’t having it though. “These players love to be here, don’t forget that. It [contract discussions] will happen behind the scenes.
“A week ago, when no-one knew about my situation, no-one asked. Nobody has to worry. This club is stable, 100 percent, and everything will be fine, I am 100 percent sure. I would recommend to stay calm in this department, massively. There is enough time to do everything.”
Benzema’s final call
After four weeks of rumours, reports, talks, chances, opportunities, final decisions, ultimatums, unlikely moves touted and tipped, huge updates revealed, and dreams had, Karim Benzema is set to stay in Saudi Arabia. The 36-year-old has perhaps been the story of the January window, but an exit is no longer on the cards.
The Athletic report that he will be remaining at Al-Ittihad this month as the European deadline looms ahead of the slightly later Saudi Pro League one. Even with the prospect of a fairytale move to Lyon being discussed, Benzema will not be moving on.
He had been absent from his mid-season break duties, sparking even more fanfare that an exit could be on the cards. Now, though, it seems that any late-career Stamford Bridge fling is well and truly a memory.
football.london says: All good things must come to an end. RIP Karim Benzema to Chelsea transfer rumour, January 2024 – January 2024. What a little daydream that all was.