Jaap Stam has identified Sven Botman as a potential replacement for Virgil van Dijk, with the Liverpool captain yet to agree a new contract.
The 33-year-old is involved in negotiations with Premier League leaders. They risk losing him, Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold for free this summer.
The trio has been allowed to talk to other clubs abroad since the beginning of this month with a view to a pre-contractual agreement. However, the skipper has given no indication that he wants to end his career on Merseyside.
Should a possible departure from Anfield arise, Manchester United legend Jaap Stam believes one player will be tasked with replacing the 33-year-old. He named Newcastle defender Botman as someone capable of leading Liverpool's defense and admitted he would like to see his compatriot at a bigger club than the Magpies.
“I rate Sven Botman very highly, he is a very good player and I remember him playing in the Netherlands at a young age before moving to France and then to the Premier League,” Stam said in conversation with BoyleSports about betting in the Premier League.
“He is a very good player and left-footed, which can be difficult to find. He has pace and he is big and strong, he is good one-on-one and in the air.”
“Could he replace Van Dijk? I'm 100% sure he could. You never know because the pressure will be different at Liverpool than at Newcastle, but he could be a success.”
“I would love to see him at an even bigger club than Newcastle, but right now he needs to get back into his groove and play regularly with confidence, showing the fans what he can do.”
Botman only returned to action earlier this month after suffering a cruciate ligament injury last March. His presence helped Newcastle to continue their amazing six straight league wins and rise to fourth in the table.
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