Liverpool: ‘Crucial’ star to ‘definitely sign’ extension after having one Slot ‘reservation’ – ‘no doubt’
In a potential boost to Liverpool, it’s been claimed that Virgil van Dijk “will definitely sign” a contract extension to commit his future to the club.
Van Dijk has entered the final year of his contract and it’s been suggested in recent months that this season could be his last at Liverpool.
The Reds find themselves in a precarious position as Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold are in the same boat and could also opt to leave the Premier League giants at the end of this season on a free transfer.
There has been mass upheaval at Anfield this year as Arne Slot has replaced Jurgen Klopp, while Michael Edwards has returned to the club as FSG’s CEO of football and Richard Hughes has been made their sporting director.
Despite this, Liverpool have made a sensational start to the 2024/25 campaign under Slot as they currently sit top of the Premier League and the Champions League.
Slot has remained coy when asked about Liverpool’s three top stars of late, but he recently admitted that they could “become a problem”.
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He said: “The contract situation could become a problem if the players don’t perform as well as they do at the moment. It’s also not sure that if they perform not as good anymore that has anything to do with the contract situation.
“At the moment, all three of them are in a good place, they all perform really, really, really well. There are ongoing discussions between what Virgil said are the people he had to talk with, and that’s not me, as you know. I talk to him about other things. Let’s wait and see.”
It remains to be seen whether Salah or Alexander-Arnold will sign an extension. But during an interview with Football Insider, former Man Utd and Tottenham chief scout Mick Brown claimed Van Dijk “will definitely sign” after he had one ‘reservation’ about Slot.
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Brown said: “I firmly believe that this is a pressure job from the agents. They want to get the best deal possible for their players, whether that’s here or elsewhere.
“But I have no doubt that Van Dijk will definitely sign an extension to his contract. He’s still a crucial player under the new manager and he’s playing in a team that, at the moment, look like they could go and win things.
“In the summer, I heard he was keen to see whether the new coach could match his ambitions. They’re top of the league after ten games and have lost just once all season – I think he’ll be delighted with the way things have gone.
“He’s the captain, he loves the club, and the fans love him. What else could you want? I can’t see a situation in which he leaves in the near future.”
