Liverpool are keen to extend Virgil van Dijk‘s contract at the club, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano.
The Dutchman is currently sidelined with cruciate ligament damage, with the chances of him playing again this season appearing slim.
Van Dijk has been an astonishing signing since joining from Southampton in January 2018, transforming Liverpool’s defence and showing why many consider him to be the best centre-back in world football.
Speaking on the Que Golazo podcast [via TEAMtalk], Romano claimed Liverpool want to tie the 29-year-old down to a new deal that takes him beyond his current expiry date of 2023:
Liverpool want in the new year to open new talks with the agent of Virgil van Dijk to extend his contract,” Romano said.
They are so happy with the player, and van Dijk is so happy with Liverpool. So immediately after his injury they were saying, ‘OK you are injured, but you are our leader, so we also want you in the future’.
At the moment he has two more seasons of his contract at Liverpool, but they’re ready to extend for the next five years, so those talks are going to take place in the new year.
Liverpool will go with van Dijk in the future, they don’t want to sell him. Jurgen Klopp is absolutely a big fan of van Dijk.
Read Liverpool Verdict
Van Dijk has arguably been Liverpool’s most important signing of the Jurgen Klopp era, given his vast influence.
If the Reds manage to clinch Premier League glory without him, I think it would arguably be an greater achievement than last season’s success.
That’s not only because Van Dijk is such a huge player, but also because Liverpool are having to make do without other key men, too, whether it Joe Gomez or Thiago, to name just a few.
The main hope is that Van Dijk returns the same player after injury, signing an extended deal and remaining at Anfield for many years still.
