VIRGIL VAN DIJK DENIES CALLING "PLAYERS-ONLY" MEETING AFTER BURNLEY DRAW
Virgil van Dijk denies calling a players-only meeting as Liverpool bounce back with a 3-0 Champions League win over Marseille.
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk brushed off rumours that he called a players-only meeting after the team’s draw with Burnley. The big Dutch defender helped the Reds bounce back with a solid 3-0 win over Marseille in the Champions League on Wednesday night. But he shot down talk that he’d rallied the squad with some fiery gathering after the Burnley slip.
Dominik Szoboszlai and Cody Gakpo both found the net, and a Marseille own goal sealed the points for Arne Slot’s side in France. With that win, Liverpool is in a strong spot to reach the next round of the Champions League without any extra drama.
Some reports claimed Van Dijk asked for a meeting with his teammates at the training ground on Monday—apparently similar to what he did after they lost to Manchester United back in October, during a rough patch when Liverpool dropped nine out of 12 games. But Van Dijk shot down those stories.
“Obviously, there was going to be a meeting after the Burnley game, but I never said it was my meeting,” he told TNT Sports. “I don’t know where that’s coming from.”
His manager, Arne Slot, looked just as puzzled before the Marseille match. “I’m not aware that Virgil called for a meeting. We had a post-match meeting, but that was led by me,” Slot said. “The only time I know the players met on their own was months ago. This week, the meeting was about what went well and what we need to tweak so a match with that many chances doesn’t end in a draw.”
After the Burnley game, Van Dijk had shown his frustration and hinted that the team needed to talk things through. “I’m frustrated that after 60 minutes we started to get sloppy, and it’s not the first time,” he said. “We’ve discussed it already, but apparently, we need to bring it up again. Monday will be important because Wednesday’s a tough one away—not just because of the atmosphere, but because we’re playing a De Zerbi team, and they’re always tricky.”
He was clear, though—it’s not just about him stepping up. “It’s not about me calling everyone out. It’s about us figuring out a solution. We all want to win, and we had more than enough chances against Burnley.”
Even after the Marseille win, Van Dijk kept his focus on what’s next, underlining how important the upcoming game against Bournemouth is. Liverpool head to the south coast on Saturday, and Van Dijk expects a tough test.
“After a win, we always say the same—recover and move on,” he said. “Now it’s Bournemouth. They’re hard to beat, play good football, and have a very good manager. We need to be more than ready.”
WHY DID JEREMY JACQUET SNUB CHELSEA FOR LIVERPOOL? THE SECRET VIRGIL CONNECTION
Liverpool secure Jeremy Jacquet in a £60m Deadline Day coup. The 20-year-old chose Anfield over Chelsea for a summer move.
Liverpool turned heads on Transfer Deadline Day when Arne Slot jumped into the mix and snapped up one of Europe’s brightest young talents.
The Reds dropped £55 million up front—plus another potential £5 million in add-ons—to bring in Jeremy Jacquet. He’ll link up with his new teammates this summer. Chelsea hovered around the deal too, but Jacquet chose Liverpool over the Blues.
French football pundit Julian Laurens isn’t shy about his excitement. He told Sky Sports, “He’s the real deal. Sure, he’s only 20. He hasn’t played for France yet, and you won’t find him in the Champions League or Europa League. But he’s already shown so much. Last season, Rennes brought him back from a second division loan, and this year, playing under Habib Beye, he’s just kept improving. You can’t miss with this kid. He’s going to be special.
“He reminds me of when William Saliba broke through at Saint-Etienne, or even Wesley Fofana. The point is, if you really value untapped talent, you’re willing to pay big. And Liverpool just did—because Jacquet’s that promising.”
Jacquet grew up in Bondy, the same Paris suburb that produced Kylian Mbappe, William Saliba, and Randal Kolo Muani. It’s up in Seine-Saint-Denis, northeast of central Paris.
His football education, though, happened at Rennes out in Brittany. He came up through their academy, playing alongside guys like Desire Doue—who won the Champions League with PSG—and Tottenham’s Mathys Tel.
Back then, Jacquet idolised Paul Pogba, but once they moved him to centre-back, he started looking up to Virgil van Dijk.
He made his first-team debut for Rennes in January 2024, then went on loan to Clermont Foot 63, who were fighting relegation in Ligue 1. Even after they went down, Rennes kept him out on loan because he did so well with the French U19 squad.
But in February 2025, Rennes called him back, and he’s been a regular for Habib Beye ever since.
Asked about his playing style, Jacquet said, “I’m calm on the ball—maybe I look a little nonchalant, but I’m always focused. What makes me stand out is playing out from the back and breaking lines with the right pass.”
JEREMY JACQUET UPDATE: FABRIZIO ROMANO CONFIRMS LIVERPOOL INTEREST BUT RENNES DEMAND CLUB-RECORD FEE
Liverpool is battling Chelsea and Bayern Munich for Rennes defender Jeremy Jacquet as Arne Slot faces a mounting injury crisis.
Liverpool really wants to sign Jeremy Jacquet this month, but with Chelsea, Man United, and Arsenal also circling, it looks like they’ll have to wait until summer.
They just locked in a spot in the Champions League last 16 after cruising past Qarabag FK, so things are looking good on that front. This season, they’ve already faced a couple of those big clubs—snatching a last-gasp win over Atletico thanks to Van Dijk’s 92nd-minute header, but coming up short with a 1-0 loss to Galatasaray in Turkey.
On Wednesday, Ryan Gravenberch ended up playing centre-back because Joe Gomez is out injured, and Ibrahima Konate is still away after his father passed away. They're really stretched at the back, especially with Conor Bradley and Giovanni Leoni both dealing with long-term injuries. The club decided not to go after Marc Guehi this month, which let Manchester City snap him up for under £30 million.
Now, Liverpool is eyeing Rennes defender Jeremy Jacquet. L’Equipe reported in January that Bayern Munich, Chelsea, Man United, Arsenal, and Liverpool all want him. Fabrizio Romano gave an update, saying Liverpool would love to get the deal done now, but Rennes just don’t want to sell until summer. So, Chelsea, Liverpool, and Bayern are all talking to Rennes and Jacquet’s people, but for now, it’s a waiting game.
With all these injuries piling up, people are wondering if Liverpool might try to bring in someone before the window closes. Arne Slot responded, saying the club always tries to make smart decisions, thinking about both the short and long term. That’s why they focus on signing young talent who can still develop—sometimes you just have to be patient and trust the process.
He pointed out that Liverpool doesn’t have a massive squad packed with four right-backs, a dozen midfielders, or a handful of strikers. They need to be clever about their moves, balancing immediate needs with future plans.
As for the latest on injuries, Slot said they’ll see how Jeremie Frimpong is doing—maybe he won’t be fit for Saturday, but he could be ready soon after. With just one game a week coming up, injuries should ease up a bit, but you never know with football.