Real Madrid dreaming of free transfer for Van Dijk when Liverpool contract expires

Europe's transfer market is heating up early, and one name keeps coming up in the last few hours: Virgil van Dijk. Liverpool's captain is set to run out his contract at the end of the 2026-27 season, and according to Mundo Deportivo, Real Madrid is dreaming of landing him as a free agent.

What stands out is that Liverpool has yet to put a renewal offer on the table for the 35-year-old defender, something many see as a sign that his cycle at Anfield could be winding down naturally. Real Madrid is already sharpening its pencil: coach José Mourinho already has two of Van Dijk's former Liverpool teammates in his back line, both of whom arrived on free transfers after their contracts with the Reds expired, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Ibrahima Konaté. Adding a third name from that group wouldn't be a coincidence, it would be a clear strategy.

Still, Madrid doesn't have a clear path. AC Milan, Galatasaray and even Inter Miami are also among the interested parties. Van Dijk joined Liverpool in 2018 and has since been a key piece in a complete transformation of the club, which under his leadership won absolutely every domestic title on offer, plus the Champions League, the UEFA Super Cup and the Club World Cup.

Mora, the Mexican gem who already has suitors lining up

While Madrid keeps tabs on Van Dijk, Liverpool itself has its eye on another player: Gilberto Mora, a 17-year-old midfielder already capped by Mexico's national team, according to Football Insider. The youngster plays for Tijuana in Liga MX, and the club is willing to let him leave at the end of the season, when they believe his value will have peaked.

The problem for the Reds is that they're not alone in this race: Real Madrid, Barcelona and PSG are also showing interest. Mora left a strong impression at last summer's World Cup and has started this campaign at a notable clip, with five goals in seven matches.

More moves brewing across Europe

Real Madrid is also closely tracking Gianluigi Donnarumma, the Manchester City goalkeeper, as a possible long-term successor to Thibaut Courtois, according to TEAMtalk. There's an outside factor that could speed things up or slow them down: City was found guilty on Tuesday of nearly all of the 115 financial charges brought against it by the Premier League, and has until Friday to appeal. Whatever happens with that punishment could determine whether the club lets its goalkeeper go.

At Barcelona, meanwhile, there's concern surrounding Jules Koundé. The 27-year-old defender has landed on Bayern Munich's watch list, with the German club seeing him as a possible replacement for Kim Min-jae, according to Diario Sport. Koundé signed a five-year contract extension in August 2025, but hasn't managed to lock down a starting spot in LaLiga this season, which opens the door to a possible January exit.

Other names moving around the board: Manchester United is weighing a move for Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta, with clubs from Saudi Arabia also monitoring the situation. Juventus, meanwhile, is preparing to move on from Teun Koopmeiners in January if his form doesn't improve "significantly," according to Gazzetta dello Sport, with Everton, Newcastle and Monaco among the interested clubs.

And there's a long list of smaller rumors worth keeping on the radar: Bayern Munich is negotiating a renewal with Michael Olise; Everton will only entertain offers of at least £80 million for Jarrad Branthwaite, who is wanted by Liverpool; Bournemouth is working to lock down Alex Scott's future before January; Milan is prioritizing a renewal for Strahinja Pavlovic before sitting down with Christian Pulisic; and Bayern is also keeping tabs on Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno.