Cubarsi, Van Dijk and a European night at Anfield: why his words still matter
It is not often that one of the brightest young defenders in world football names a Liverpool player as his role model and Anfield as the stadium he most wants to experience, all in the same breath. Pau Cubarsi has done exactly that, and while we are not about to start drafting a transfer bid, it is a nice reminder of where this club still sits in the imagination of the game’s elite.
A teenager who already looks the finished article
Cubarsi is still just 19, but he plays like someone with years of top-level football behind him. A product of La Masia, he broke into the Barcelona senior side in January 2024 and has looked completely at home ever since. Under Hansi Flick he is no longer a promising extra. He is a fixture in the starting eleven.
His CV has filled up quickly. He won the 2026 World Cup with Spain, collected the award for the tournament’s best young player and then added the Golden Boy prize. Composure, timing and an unusual sense of authority are the qualities that keep coming up when people describe him.
Read more: Why Liverpool’s faith in Ifeanyi Ndukwe could reshape their centre-back plans
The Van Dijk blueprint
The part that will make Liverpool supporters smile is his choice of idol. Cubarsi explained that he has studied Virgil van Dijk closely over the last few years and has taken a lot from watching him.
We cannot think of a better example for a young centre-back. Van Dijk has set the standard for the position for the best part of a decade, with his positioning, calm on the ball and organisation of those around him. He reads danger early and makes defending look effortless, which is precisely why so many young players across Europe try to copy him. Hearing a World Cup winner say so publicly is a fine tribute to our captain.
Anfield’s pull has not faded
Cubarsi went further. He said he has always kept an eye on the Premier League, and when asked about a favourite ground, he picked a big Champions League night at Anfield, adding that it must be “an impressive experience”.
Let us be clear, this is not a coded hint about a move. There is nothing here to suggest he wants to leave Barcelona, and his future remains firmly in Catalonia for now. What it does show is that the reputation of Anfield on European nights travels well beyond Merseyside. Players grow up watching those games and want to feel that atmosphere for themselves.
For us, that is the real takeaway. Whatever changes on the pitch and in the dugout, the stadium and its history still carry enormous weight. Whether Cubarsi ever experiences it in a Barcelona shirt is anyone’s guess, but when a talent like him talks about Van Dijk and dreams of Anfield, Liverpool fans will always take notice.
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