Barcelona 'made approach for Virgil van Dijk'

Barcelona reportedly made an approach for Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk earlier this year.

Van Dijk has been a revelation at Anfield since his arrival in January 2018, making a total of 72 appearances in all competitions and helping Liverpool to the Champions league last season.

The form of the 28-year-old has naturally resulted in admiration from elsewhere, including Barcelona, who are currently looking to strengthen their backline.

According to The Mirror, the Catalan giants recently made an informal enquiry regarding the potential availability of the Netherlands international.

However, the La Liga champions were allegedly informed that there was no chance of a deal being reached given Van Dijk's standing at the Premier League giants.

The former Celtic and Southampton man is tied to Liverpool until the end of the 2022-23 campaign.