Virgil van Dijk has signed a new two-year contract with Liverpool, confirming his long-term future at Anfield. The 33-year-old, a key player whose contract was nearing expiration, follows Mohamed Salah in agreeing to a two-year extension with the club. Trent Alexander-Arnold is expected to join Real Madrid as a free agent.
Van Dijk was always expected to stay at Liverpool and reportedly declined lucrative offers from the Saudi Arabian Pro League last summer. If he completes this new contract, Van Dijk will have spent nine years at Liverpool, during which he has won the Champions League, domestic cups, and is likely to add a second Premier League title.
`Liverpool was always my priority,` Van Dijk stated. `It was always in my mind and my plan to stay here. There was no doubt that this is the right place for me and my family. I feel like I belong to Liverpool. Someone recently called me an adopted Scouser, and I`m very proud of that, it`s a great feeling.`
Despite turning 34 in July, Van Dijk remains a top center back and has been crucial in Liverpool`s Premier League title challenge this season. His contract extension is a significant statement for the club, especially as he anticipates a `big summer` at Anfield, similar to Salah`s extension.
`There will be changes with players leaving and coming in, and I think it will be a big summer,` Van Dijk commented after a recent match. `I believe the club is planning a significant summer, and we, as fans and those connected to Liverpool, must trust the management to make the right decisions.`
Further contract negotiations are expected, even with Alexander-Arnold`s likely departure. Three senior players will enter the final year of their contracts in July, and there are rumors that Ibrahima Konate, Van Dijk’s defensive partner, is being targeted by Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid.
Benedict Kingsley