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Liverpool were forced to explore alternatives to Virgil van Dijk back in 2017(Image: Ed Sykes/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images)

Liverpool have handed Virgil van Dijk a two-year contract extension, though had things turned out differently back in 2017, he may well have never joined.

Liverpool of course merely waited until January before returning for Van Dijk, but here Mirror Football looks at what happened to the eight alternatives.

Article continues belowREAD MORE:Virgil van Dijk makes demand to Liverpool fans for remainder of Premier League seasonREAD MORE:Liverpool to prove THIRTY BBC pundits wrong with stunning Premier League title win

After helping Burnley avoid relegation from the top-flight, Michael Keane's stock was high.



The defender subsequently joined Leicester, where he impressed and earned a starting spot in the England team.

He ultimately joined Manchester United in an £80million, earning the captaincy before being stripped of it.

It has been a mixed time at Old Trafford for the 32-year-old, the last-gasp winner against Lyon not-withstanding.

Felipe became a key player for Atletico Madrid after missing out on a move to Liverpool

It was not only the Premier League where Liverpool looked for defensive options.

He joined Bayern Munich in 2021, where he has endured a difficult time despite winning two Bundesliga titles.

Caglar Soyuncu caught the eye at Leicester but is now playing in Turkey(Image: Getty Images)

Liverpool, Manchester United and Arsenal all grew interested in Caglar Soyuncu.

The Turkish star had impressed at Bundesliga upstarts Freiburg, though would ultimately join Leicester in 2018.

He continued to impress in the Premier League and following their 2023 relegation, he moved to Atletico Madrid.
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