Liverpool Pre-Season Update as Virgil van Dijk and Cody Gakpo Return to AXA Training Centre
Liverpool’s pre-season has been split in two. One group is in the United States, playing matches and doing the commercial legwork. Another is at the AXA Training Centre, putting in the hard yards away from the noise. That is the reality of a summer shaped by the 2026 FIFA World Cup and staggered player returns.
The latest development is straightforward. Virgil van Dijk and Cody Gakpo are back at Kirkby after their involvement with the Netherlands at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. They are not joining the US tour. They are starting pre-season work at home, on their own schedule, under the eye of Liverpool’s staff.
Van Dijk and Gakpo Begin Liverpool Return
There is no drama here, just planning. Andoni Iraola had already made clear that Van Dijk, Gakpo and Alisson Becker would return later than others and do so at the AXA Training Centre. That is now in motion. It also reflects the modern pre-season calendar, where rest and load management matter as much as tactical work.
Ryan Gravenberch, Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak linked up with the squad on the American tour because their World Cup campaigns ended earlier. Different tournament exits mean different reporting dates. Simple.
Andoni Iraola Balances Tour and Training
Iraola is using this Liverpool pre-season to get through two jobs at once. The team opened with a 4-2 win over Sunderland in Nashville. Next come Wrexham in New York and Leeds United in Chicago. Results in July are not the story, but rhythm, fitness and exposure to the coach’s methods are.
Back on Merseyside, Van Dijk and Gakpo will build fitness individually before rejoining the wider group later in pre-season. For Liverpool, that matters. Van Dijk remains a central figure in the squad and Gakpo’s return adds another senior option in attack.
AXA Training Centre Holds Key Role Before Season Start
Once the US trip is done, Liverpool head back to Anfield for home friendlies against AS Monaco and Como. Those fixtures should bring the squad together in fuller shape and give a clearer picture of Iraola’s first proper Liverpool side.
For now, the message is clear. Liverpool are not waiting for everyone to arrive at once. The work has already started, whether in New York, Chicago or the AXA Training Centre.
