Liverpool's $183m transfer plans could be bad news for Virgil van Dijk

Liverpool has so far been vindicated in its quiet summer transfer strategy. However, you'd still expect business to ramp up sooner or later — and .

Unusually, was not furnished upon arrival with many new players to help him implement his philosophy, with he and the club deciding between them that the available market options would not strengthen the existing squad. The Dutchman has also needed time to fully assess the level of the players he inherited.

He will be pleased with what he has seen. has been like a new signing, minimizing calls for a new holding midfielder, and has continued to be a commanding presence at the back alongside an improved .

However, while Liverpool was seemingly right about not needing any new central defenders as a matter of urgency ( and are struggling to even get a kick), Slot will probably need to dip into the transfer market before long. There may not be a need in the here and now, but succession planning is an important part of transfer strategy.

The medium-term future of Van Dijk remains up in the air, with his contract situation yet to be resolved. He is 33, and Liverpool needs to be preparing for a changing of the guard.

According to , it is doing just that, lining up a $183m (£140m/€166m) double swoop for Premier League duo Jarrad Branthwaite and Marc Guehi. Those moves could be explored as soon as January.

Albeit six months later than expected, these would be real statement transfers to truly mark the start of the Slot era. Either of those arrivals would mirror the original signing of Van Dijk himself, in that they would be attempting to install an elite figure at the heart of the Liverpool defense for years to come.

Just as Van Dijk became synonymous with the era, Branthwaite and/or Guehi could be that defensive figure for Slot. Currently, both can only dream of hitting the same heights, but they have showed the potential to reach the top of the game.

But if Liverpool really is eyeing up either of those transfers, you do wonder what it means for Van Dijk. The Reds are unlikely to offer the 33-year-old a lucrative new contract without intending to keep him as the first choice, and they are equally unlikely to part with $183m only to leave two of the brightest defensive talents around on the bench.

If the first big transfer splash of the Slot era is indeed to come at the heart of defense, then we might be seeing the last of Van Dijk. He has looked as imperious as ever this season, so that would be a huge decision from the head coach and the rest of the hierarchy — but for now, the advice would simply be to enjoy him while he remains at Anfield.

Liverpool.com says: These are just transfer rumors, and they may lack substance. It's certainly hard to envisage Liverpool completing both moves, and even just one of them would be tricky to pull off, especially in January.

That being said, the heart of the defense probably is the next obvious place to look, purely in terms of the squad's age profile. And when a world-class player does come through the door, whoever that may be, then it may well spell the beginning of the end for Van Dijk.

Ultimately, the club doesn't want to get stuck paying huge wages for someone who is no longer a starter. So it must either commit to another two years or more of Van Dijk (a valid choice, given the way he has started under Slot), or else pull the trigger now in the transfer market. If it is to choose this latter path, Branthwaite in particular is certainly an appealing option, despite the stir such a move would cause.