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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
Sport
Ian Doyle

Liverpool fans decide who should partner Virgil van Dijk at centre-back next season

The Champions League final triumph against Tottenham Hotspur is still leaving a warm glow around every Liverpool supporter.

But that hasn't stopped the Reds faithful from looking to next season.

Jurgen Klopp will add a few new names to further strengthen his European champions this summer.

However, there is one position where Liverpool are already well blessed for options.

Virgil van Dijk is rightly regarded as arguably the best defender in the world with his man-of-the-match performance in Madrid last Saturday putting him in the running for the Ballon d'Or.

Who partners the Dutchman at centre-back, next season, is a bit of head-scratcher.

Virgil van Dijk on the 'dribbled past' stat and his desire to win more trophies

We attempted to solve the conundrum, and also asked Liverpool fans for their say.

You voted in your thousands - and here's what the final result was.

A narrow win, then, for Joel Matip, who was the man in possession of the jersey for the second half of the campaign having eventually replaced Joe Gomez following the youngster's broken leg at Burnley in December.

Rumours Dejan Lovren was the only person who voted for Dejan Lovren have just been made up. Joking aside, though, it says much about the Croat's injury-affected season that he has so little backing at present.

Keep up to date with the breaking Liverpool news and transfer rumours here

Probably the most interesting aspect of the poll is that only 11% of fans think Liverpool should consider somebody else to partner Van Dijk.

Clearly, the clamour for a move for Ajax wonderkid Matthijs De Ligt isn't as pronounced as some people may think.

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