Virgil van Dijk confirms new contract negotiations with Liverpool to give Arne Slot a big boost
Virgil van Dijk has revealed there are “ongoing discussions” over signing a new contract at Liverpool.
Van Dijk The current contract at Anfield expires in June and he can therefore talk to foreign clubs about a free transfer from January 1.
The departure of the centre-back and the captain would be a great loss for Liverpool given his outstanding performances at the heart of the Reds defense and overall leadership of the team.
However, the Dutchman may have eased fans' fears over a possible exit by confirming that talks are underway to extend his stay.
“I can say that obviously discussions are ongoing, but I don't know, we'll see what happens in the future,” he said via The Athletic.
“My attention is totally focused on Liverpool, on wanting to win the games ahead of me and nothing else.
“At the moment I have no idea what the future holds. I can only tell you that talks have started and we'll see.”
Van Dijk joined Liverpool in early 2018 in a £75m deal from Southampton, their second most expensive signing ever.
The 33-year-old has played a total of 280 times for the Merseyside club in all competitions, scoring 24 goals as a defender.
He was announced as the new captain of the Reds in June 2023 following the departure of Jordan Henderson due to his popularity and extensive experience.
Van Dijk has started all of Liverpool's Premier League and Champions League games this season under the new boss. Arne Slot.
This includes your 2-1 league victory at home against Chelsea on Sunday, in which he played the full 90 minutes for the eighth consecutive game.
3
3
Although Van Dijk now looks set to sign a new deal, Liverpool could still see two other key players leave at the end of the season.
Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold will also see their contracts expire next June, effective immediately.
The red ones rejected an offer rising to £150m for the Egyptian winger from Saudi Pro League side Al Ittihad towards the end of the 2023 summer transfer window.
Salah apparently hinted that this could be its last season at the club after the 3-0 victory against Manchester United in which he scored one goal and assisted the other two.
Alexander-Arnold was heavily linked with a move to Real Madrid in the summer to become their new right-back.
talkSPORT understands that Barcelona and Bayern Munich are also interested on the Liverpool star amid the uncertainty of his contract.
