Liverpool had a disappointing start to their 2025/26 season, falling to Crystal Palace in a penalty shootout during Sunday’s Community Shield clash. In the aftermath, captain Virgil van Dijk issued a strong call for new signings to head coach Arne Slot and his staff.
Crystal Palace took an early lead with Hugo Ekitike scoring within four minutes. Despite a 2-2 draw at the end of regular time, Justin Devenny sealed the victory for Palace in the shootout after goalkeeper Dean Henderson played a key role once again.
Following a Premier League title win in Slot’s debut season, Liverpool have already spent significantly in the transfer window. However, Van Dijk urged the club to keep investing after the setback against Oliver Glasner’s side.
Although Liverpool started brightly, Palace posed a major challenge. The second half highlighted the Reds’ struggles in front of goal, and Van Dijk is eager to see further reinforcements brought in. Speaking to talkSPORT’s Alex Crook, the defender referenced the recent departures of Darwin Nunez to Saudi Arabia and Luis Diaz to Bayern Munich, emphasizing the need for attacking depth:
> “We just lost Darwin—he’s gone to Saudi—and we lost Lucho [Luis Diaz], who went to Bayern. There’s always room for an attacker to strengthen the squad, so we’ll see what the rest of the transfer window brings.”
While Van Dijk didn’t name specific targets, speculation points toward Newcastle striker Alexander Isak. Liverpool’s initial £110 million bid was reportedly rejected, but with Isak hesitant to renew his contract, a move to Anfield remains a possibility.
Despite Van Dijk’s concerns, Slot seems content with his attacking options. He said:
> “I think we have more than enough options to win games. That’s my focus. We scored twice today—last season, we only managed one goal against them both home and away. So our attacking quality isn’t my main concern right now. What’s more pressing is the number of goals we’ve conceded during preseason, which hasn’t met our standards.”
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