New Delhi: Liverpool’s captain Virgil van Dijk has confirmed that he has started talking with the club for a new deal though he maintained that he is still clueless if he will be there with the side for the next season. Van Dijk has been with the club since January of 2018 and his contract will end at the end of the current season along with Trent Alexander-Arnold and Mohamed Salah.
The Dutch centre-back confirmed that while discussions are going on his future at the club, his focus remains on winning the upcoming games for the Reds. He noted that he was in a good state “physically and mentally”. Most importantly he is enjoying the current phase of his career.
🚨🗣Virgil van Dijk on contract talks via @davidlynchlfc:”I can say obviously discussions are ongoing, but I don’t know, 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.”💪🦁🇳🇱 pic.twitter.com/uqTit2C55k
— LFC Transfer Room (@LFCTransferRoom) October 21, 2024
Van Dijk came to the Liverpool camp from Southampton for £75m and helped the side win the 2019 Premier League and the 2020 Champions League. He has also helped the club claim the FA Cup, League Cup, and FIFA Club World Cup. As Arne Slot has taken over the oars as Liverpool’s manager, he has been vital in helping Liverpool stay at the top of the points table at the end of match day eight.
Liverpool have the best defence record this season, conceding just thrice, and Van Dijk has been the central figure for this amazing record. The 33-year-old observed that the numbers were much different at the start of the season than now and the credit doesn’t just go to the backline and the goalkeepers but the entire team effort.
Arne Slot’s take on the rumours
Lately, Alexander-Arnold has been repeatedly linked with La Liga club Real Madrid. Slot rebuffed those claims last Friday, saying that players in his squad are not distracted by talks about their future, noting that they are constantly linked with the big teams in the world.
Slot commented that they are world-class players and very “strong mentally.” Further, Slot said that players may be distracted when they are young, but someone with Van Dijk, Salah, and Alexander-Arnold’s experience and achievements was unlikely to be distracted from playing their game by mere rumours.
