10 Players Who Will Rule Premier League In 2020/21
7. Virgil Van Dijk (Liverpool)
Is there a more stand out signing in taking a team to the next level than Virgil Van Dijk? Before he joined Liverpool in January 2018, the side had conceded 25 goals during the first half of the season, however his signing followed with the team conceding just 12 in the second half of the campaign. In the two full seasons with VVD in the side, Liverpool have conceded just 55 goals in total in the league (22 in 18-19 and 33 in 19-20), with Van Dijk being hailed as the best centre back in the world and even managing to claim 3rd place in the 2019 Ballon D'or.
Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool are a side that build out from the back, given Van Dijk plenty of time to stand out. He is physically imposing, great in the air, deceptively quick for a defender and, with five goals during the 2019-20 season alone, carries a dangerous threat from set pieces at both ends of the pitch. Without a doubt his best attribute is his leadership within the side, marshalling his backline and helping to bring the best out of the likes of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Andy Robertson and Joe Gomez.
With Liverpool facing an improved level of competition for their Premier League crown, 2020-21 could be the season where Virgil Van Dijk really flexes himself as one of the undisputed greats of the Premier League era.