Virgil van Dijk breaks silence on viral Alexander Isak chat that got Liverpool fans talking

The mystery surrounding Virgil van Dijk's cryptic exchange with Alexander Isak after Liverpool's League Cup final loss to Newcastle United at Wembley continues to intrigue fans, but Van Dijk is keeping the chat private.

"I'm not telling you!" he chuckled after Liverpool's win at Burnley. "Maybe in two years' time or three years' time, I will tell you. But not now. I can't remember!".

Isak's subsequent record-breaking £125million transfer to Anfield on deadline day has only added fuel to the speculation about their brief chat.

The Swedish star was absent from Liverpool's 1-0 Premier League victory at Turf Moor on Sunday due to a lack of game time, his only appearance since May being a brief stint off the bench for his national team last Monday.

After being sidelined from the Newcastle first-team squad over the summer, Isak is playing catch-up with his fitness having missed a proper pre-season programme, but could make an appearance in the Reds' Champions League opener against Atletico Madrid on Wednesday, reports the Liverpool Echo.

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Van Dijk expressed relief that the complications arising from Isak's move to the champions have been resolved.

"I know it was a very difficult time," the 34 year old admitted. "When negotiations always drag on, it's never easy. So many things are going on behind the scenes.

"Not only me, but the whole team and everyone connected to the club was very pleased that the deal got done.

"Now he's here, he's a part of the family and it is time for him to be as fit as he can as quickly as possible, and be important for us with goals, with assists, with link-up play, and with what Hugo (Ekitike) has already been showing and doing, pushing each other and bringing us to the next level."

Without Isak available, Liverpool found it tough to penetrate a stubborn Burnley defence and needed a Mohamed Salah spot-kick five minutes into stoppage time to preserve their perfect start to defending their crown.

Each of the Reds' four triumphs this campaign have been secured by late winners, and Van Dijk reckons that demonstrates Arne Slot's squad's determination to keep battling and avoid frustration.

"We kept trying," said the Netherlands captain. "We played against a team that had a very low block so it was always going to be difficult. It could easily have been a draw because of the way they defended.

"It's frustrating when you play against that sort of style but you have to give them credit for it because they did it pretty well. In the end, we got the penalty that we deserved basically because we kept pushing. The body language was good.

"We kept pushing each other, stayed positive and didn't get frustrated. We did everything we could and obviously we found a way with the penalty."

Slot discussed his bold decision to deploy numerous attacking players in the final stages after the match, with substitute Jeremie Frimpong earning the crucial penalty when Hannibal Mejbri handled his cross.

With Frimpong joined off the bench by Rio Ngumoha and earlier Federico Chiesa, Liverpool concluded with seven forward-thinking players on the field and Van Dijk partnered at centre-half by midfielder Ryan Gravenberch.

The Liverpool captain remarked: "The manager knows what he is doing and he has full trust in me and the others at the back. At the end of the day, I always say that we defend together and we attack together.

"We have to make sure we are well organised and make sure we don't concede counter-attacks, which is what they tried to do as well. I think we did that pretty well. Two clean sheets on the bounce and we have to keep going and keep improving."

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