Virgil van Dijk confirmed last weekend that talks have begun between Liverpool and his representatives over a new contract, with his current deal only running until the end of the 2024/25 campaign.
“I can say obviously discussions are ongoing, but I don’t know,” Van Dijk told reporters including from Liverpool.com at Anfield after his side moved back to the top of the Premier League by beating Chelsea. “We will see what happens in the future.
“My very full focus is on Liverpool, wanting to win games that are ahead of me and nothing else. What the future will bring, I have no idea at the moment. I can only tell you that discussions have been started up and we will see.”
Nothing is done yet but that certainly seems like a step in a positive direction, with Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold’s situations needing to be resolved as well. Here is what Liverpool.com believes will definitely happen if the Van Dijk contract negotiations come to fruition with the outcome that both parties appear to want.
Van Dijk is already the best in his position out there and there have been few signs that he will drop off. William Saliba is possibly the only player in the Premier League who could put an argument forward for being in the conversation but as good as the Frenchman is, similar to Ibrahima Konate, he needs to prove it for longer before having a proper claim for matching is realistic.
“I feel very good, physically, mentally and I am having fun,” Van Dijk said last week. There is no sign of an immediate decline, and even if he dropped off a little, the Dutchman would still be much better than almost anyone else currently playing the same role.
Would it surprise anyone if he was still at the same level in two or three years? It’s worth remembering that he only moved to Anfield at the age of 26, too, so he hasn’t been at the top of the game for as long as many others, which means his body should be able to take the toll for slightly longer.
Assuming that Alexander-Arnold stays at Liverpool as well, which cannot be taken for granted amid interest in him from Real Madrid, he will have designs on becoming the Reds’ captain one day. The number 66 has never made any secret of that being something that he would like to happen at some point, and in some ways, it feels inevitable.
If Van Dijk was to stay, though, that would almost certainly mean him remaining on as skipper given that his role in the team would remain the same if he pens an extension. For at least another couple of years, Van Dijk would likely remain as club captain, with Alexander-Arnold needing to wait a little longer and to the point of him edging near to 30.
Alexander-Arnold has only just turned 26 so there would still be plenty of time available for him to take the armband later in his career. It won’t be a decisive factor in contract negotiations, but it would be a massive boost if both the Liverpool captain and vice-captain could pen new terms of before the festive period.
Succession plan takes shape
In Konate and Jarell Quansah, Liverpool has two elite center-backs in the making. At 27, Joe Gomez could still be around for a long time too, even though he is already the Reds’ longest-serving player at senior level.
However, a new addition who can play a bit of left-sided center-back and a bit of left-back would be ideal to gradually cement themselves in the Liverpool team and one day take over from Van Dijk on that side of the pitch. Think Josko Gvardiol, if he didn’t play for Manchester City and cost almost $100m.
“I have been saying for a few years that the club needs a multi-purpose defender on the left: someone who can cover for Andrew Robertson or play center-half without weakening the back line,” Jamie Carragher wrote in his Daily Telegraph column this week. “Manchester City have those utility defenders in Gvardiol and Nathan Ake. Arsenal’s Riccardo Calafiori comes into the same category.”
While Van Dijk staying would be huge, Liverpool would still need to think about a long-term succession plan. Signing a young left-sided option who has the potential to become one of the best out there would seem the most logical way of doing it.
