'Still plenty of work to do' - Van Dijk claims Liverpool were defensively better than the first match

Van Dijk believes the signing of a new defender will further bolster the team's progress following their 4-2 victory over Bournemouth on Friday.

Hours earlier, the Reds secured the services of 18-year-old Giovanni Leoni from Parma on a six-year contract. The club is also reportedly pursuing Crystal Palace's Marc Guehi.

"Our defence performed better in the second match, but we still have a lot of work to do. The manager has already said it will take time. At right-back, we have Jeremy Frimpong, who's arrived from the Bundesliga and is only 24.

"He still needs to adapt to our style of play. On the other side, we have Milos Kerkez, who is young, eager, and full of energy. He also needs to adjust to our style," Van Dijk explained, as reported by Sportal.

"Of course, it will take time; that's perfectly normal. Today, however, we were also without our defensive midfielder Ryan Gravenberch, who was suspended. We will continue to work, and the goal is clean sheets. We conceded two goals in transition, and we'll need to focus on that," he added.

Despite defensive concerns, Liverpool has scored six goals so far, two of which came from new signing Hugo Ekitike. The French forward opened his account at Anfield on Friday night, having also scored in the Community Shield against Palace. However, the winning goal belonged to Federico Chiesa, who spent a significant portion of last season sidelined with injury.

"I'm happy for Hugo because he's scored two goals in two matches. It's great that he did it in his Premier League debut, and I hope many more will follow. He's adapted quickly to the team. The striker position is unique because when you're scoring, everything is sunshine and rainbows, but if you're not, things are the exact opposite," Van Dijk continued.

"He just needs to keep working hard, scoring, and providing assists. Of course, he also needs to contribute defensively. We'll see how far he can go," added the Dutchman.

"I'm also happy for Fede. He's a great guy and puts in a lot of effort. He was unlucky with injuries last season, but he's never lost our support. The fans love him too, and a performance like this against Bournemouth is exactly what everyone wants to see," Van Dijk concluded.