It is universally accepted that when Liverpool sold Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona and used the money to buy Virgil Van Dijk, they moved the club onto a new much better trajectory.
Many scoffed at the £75 million price tag Liverpool paid to get the Dutch centre half from Southampton, but in retrospect it is some of the best money the club has ever spent and when you compare the value he has brought to Anfield compared to the value Harry Maguire has brought to Old Trafford having signed for £80 million, it is no contest.
Van Dijk has won every trophy there is to win and was the PFA Player of the Year in 2018/19 before being the runner up in the Ballon D’or. He was also the official Man of the Match in the 2019 Champions League Final win over Spurs instantly showing the difference he made to the club before helping them to end the 30-year wait between league titles in 2019/20.
Even last year, his first as club captain, Van Dijk was making a difference heading home the winning goal in the League Cup Final against Chelsea before lifting it as captain.
So you’d think the Virgil Van Dijk contract question would be an easy one to solve, but it seemingly is not.
Virgil Van Dijk contract expiry
Football – FA Premier League – Liverpool FC v Chelsea FC LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND – Saturday, October 19, 2024: Liverpool s captain Virgil van Dijk celebrates after the FA Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Chelsea FC at Anfield. Liverpool won 2-1. Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda LIVERPOOL Anfield MERSEYSIDE ENGLAND PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxUK Copyright: xDavidxRawcliffex P2024-10-20-Liverpool_Chelsea-56
This is because of how delayed Liverpool have been to addressing this problem. With so much changing in the football department at Anfield and then an immediate priority to replace Jurgen Klopp, contracts for Mo Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Van Dijk were neglected leaving Liverpool in awful position.
All three contracts expire at the end of this season, in June 2025, but come January players can negotiate with clubs outside the Premier League which is why Real Madrid are so interested in Alexander-Arnold.
January also remains the last chance for Liverpool to cash out any of these players, but chasing silverware again this season surely such a move is off the table.
For Van Dijk and Salah, the situation is even more complex with the pair passed 30 now making a deal harder to reach.
Van Dijk begins talks and lays out demands
In a huge boost for Liverpool, it has been confirmed that Van Dijk has begun talks over a new deal and his terms have also been revealed as per reports.
According to TeamTalk, the defender wants a two-year deal on a contract worth £220,000 a week and as of right now, there’s a “strong chance” that the defender signs an extension with the club with Liverpool “in favour” of keeping their captain beyond the rest of the season.
This is a massive boost for the Reds who have also been working on signing a long term replacement for the skipper which you can read about here.
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