Former star Paul Merson does not reckon star would .
On Saturday afternoon Van Dijk produced an impressive defensive performance to help Liverpool to a 1-0 win over Crystal Palace. The Dutchman was named man of the match after the win over Palace, which saw the Reds consolidate their place at the top of the Premier League heading into the international break.
However, despite this, Merson believes Arsenal's pair of William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes would start over Van Dijk if they were part of the same squad.
The Arsenal duo are two of the best defenders in the world, like Van Dijk, and it is their partnership that form the backbone of Mikel Arteta's side.
Writing in his Sportskeeda Premier League predictions, Merson pondered whether or not Van Dijk would get into Arsenal's starting XI over Mikel Arteta's preferred partnership.
Merson wrote: "We talked about the absence of Rodri and its impact on Manchester City last weekend. He's the only player who can get into any team in the world, that explains his influence.
"When I say this people go like, 'Oh, what about Van Dijk then?' But does Van Dijk get into the Arsenal team now? He may be a better player, but he’s not getting in ahead of William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes at the moment."
Liverpool.com says: "There's no doubt William Saliba and Gabriel are two of the best defenders in the world. For years, Arsenal lacked presence at the heart of their defense, which they now have in the form of Saliba and Gabriel.
"However, to put it bluntly - the two have achieved no tangible success. Arsenal has not won a major title with Saliba and Gabriel. Liverpool has won multiple. Van Dijk is the best defender in the Premier League and a 33-years-old, still looks to be close to the peak of his powers."
