Virgil van Dijk believes Liverpool’s new-look attack are beginning to click, but feels the next generation still have plenty to prove.

The Reds captain was speaking after a 2-0 win over Brighton on Sunday in which £364 million of attacking talent finally looked like a coherent unit.

Alexander Isak, Bradley Barcola, Florian Wirtz and Cody Gakpo all started together for the first time in that game, with Isak scoring for the sixth time in his last six league matches, finishing after an assist from Barcola.

The opening goal had come from a deflected Wirtz shot, and there were several passages of play in which the front players appeared to be getting to grips with the new dynamic.

Liverpool could also call on exciting 18-year-old England winger Rio Ngumoha from the bench, their gamechanger in their previous two matches. The revamped forward line has done well enough to ensure Mohamed Salah’s name has not been mentioned at Anfield this season.

Salah departed in the summer, having cut his contract short by a year, after a disappointing campaign. He left behind a wealth of goalscoring records and has scored 10 in 10 for new club Trabzonspor, with Van Dijk now urging Liverpool’s frontline to fill the void left behind.

“I think it is the reality. What Mo has done for so many years as a winger, I don’t think anyone can replicate that,” said Van Dijk. “Hopefully it is going to happen but what he did was incredible. The same goes with Sadio (Mane) and Bobby (Roberto Firmino).

“Hopefully that is going to happen again and that is what we work for but now it is time for others and others have to step up.

“We can always think it was better back in the day but that is not the mentality that it should be at a club like Liverpool and I don’t feel it has ever been. The club will always move on at a certain point and there are always players who will shine and perform for the club.

“It is down to these players who are here now to show it every three or four days. The second goal was class but there are plenty of moments already this season that they have been very good.

“At a club like Liverpool you have to do it every three or four days. That is always the challenge, but it is a nice challenge. I’m pretty confident that it is going to be fine.”

The victory moved Liverpool into the Premier League’s top four.

Their only defeat this season has come at home to Manchester City, and they kept a fourth clean sheet of the campaign against Brighton.

A restructured defence has also contributed, with on-loan Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo becoming an instant hit on the right. Jeremy Jacquet, a £60m arrival from Rennes aged just 21, is looking an astute signing.

“He (Jacquet) is doing very well,” added Van Dijk.

“He just has to keep going and let’s see where the ceiling will be. I don’t think it is there yet, so keep going.”