'I think': Virgil van Dijk responds after what 'exceptional' Barcelona star has been publicly saying about him
03/21/2025 11:00 AM
Virgil van Dijk is regarded by many as the best centre-back in the world.
The Liverpool captain has been exceptional since joining the Reds in 2018 from Southampton and has gone on to establish himself as a Reds legend, winning every trophy possible over the last seven years on Merseyside.
Van Dijk is out of contract at Liverpool this summer and there has still been no update on a new deal being signed by the Dutch star.
This has led to uncertainty around the centre-back’s future with rumours linking Van Dijk to MLS ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.
Luckily for Liverpool, the 33-year-old has inspired a generation of defenders who they could move for if he departs, and the Reds captain has been praising one of Europe’s most promising talents this week.
Virgil van Dijk heaps praise on ‘special’ Barcelona star
Barcelona are currently one of the most exciting teams in the world and a big factor in this is the Catalan club’s young stars.
Pau Cubarsi is one of those whom Hansi Flick fully trusts, with the 18-year-old featuring 42 times for the La Liga leaders throughout the current campaign. This is an incredible achievement for a player so young and it has not gone unnoticed by Van Dijk.
Speaking about Cubarsi to Mundo Deportivo‘s Ferran Martinez, the Liverpool captain labelled the Spaniard an “enormous talent” from what he has seen so far.
"Pau Cubarsí is just exceptional. I think he has enormous talent, a special player,” Van Dijk said. "At just 18 years old and playing at this level, it’s already impressive.”
This will be a big boost for Cubarsi as the Barcelona talent has previously made public his admiration for Van Dijk.
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These words will mean a lot to Cubarsi as the Barcelona star has admitted that he pays a lot of attention to the work of Van Dijk.
“Yes, I love watching the Premier League and I admire Van Dijk," Cubarsi said about the Liverpool captain in an interview with SPORT this season. "He has amazing physical strength and defence. He's also a great leader. It's true that I pay a lot of attention to him."
With Van Dijk’s situation at Liverpool yet to be rectified, the Dutch defender is certainly a player Barcelona will be keeping an eye on ahead of the summer as signing the defender would be huge for the La Liga leaders given their financial issues.
Following this praise, that may be a move the Liverpool captain is open to as Barca continue to develop under Flick’s leadership.
Van Dijk is expected to remain at Anfield next season and beyond, but Barcelona are one of the only clubs in the world that may be able to turn the 33-year-old’s head.
