Xavi could name Van Dijk in his first Nations League squad

This Friday, Xavi Hernández will unveil his first Netherlands squad as head coach for the next four Nations League matches. And Virgil van Dijk—the Liverpool centre-back—is the name being linked to that group, according to Dutch media.

The report points to a recent meeting between the defender and the new selector. As it’s been described, Van Dijk would have expressed his wish to keep being part of the national team, and Xavi would have given his approval. With Van Dijk in the squad, if he plays, he could move toward a milestone: he’s on 96 caps, meaning he would be within reach of 100 appearances for the Oranje.

Conversation in England

As Algemeen Dagblad explains, “Van Dijk held a fruitful conversation with the new national team coach, Xavi, in England last week.” The same piece notes that, officially, everyone remains quiet, but both sides see enough potential to begin working together.

The article also includes remarks attributed to Xavi, but the key takeaway for TuFutbolero readers is simple: if Xavi confirms Van Dijk on Friday, it’ll be one of the big talking points heading into the Nations League, both for his importance and for what it could mean regarding the 100-cap mark.