Real Madrid are not believed to be interested in signing Liverpool centre-back Virgil van Dijk, a report in Spain has claimed.

Madrid are keeping an incredibly close eye on contract negotiations at Anfield, with right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold a key summer target as he approaches the final six months of his current deal with Liverpool.

Like Alexander-Arnold, Van Dijk’s contract is also winding down and a report recently claimed the Dutchman had joined his fellow defender on Madrid’s list of targets.

MARCA, however, dispute such claims and insist Van Dijk is not currently under consideration at the Santiago Bernabeu.

While there is an obvious admiration for Van Dijk’s talents, Madrid officials believe signing a player who will turn 34 years old in July would only paper over the cracks in their centre-back ranks, rather than address the issues in full.

David Alaba has missed over a year with an injury, while Eder Militao is back on the sidelines after suffering his second ACL injury in as many years, leaving Antonio Rudiger as the only senior centre-back available to Carlo Ancelotti.

Madrid would rather sign a young star who can be the focal point of their defence for the next decade and are therefore not considering short-term options like Van Dijk.

Van Dijk was recently asked about a possible move to Madrid at the end of the season. The Dutchman was quick to brush off the speculation after the two sides met in the Champions League earlier in the campaign.

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