Liverpool are ready to “break the bank” to keep captain Virgil van Dijk at the club, according to an update from journalist Marcel van der Kraan.
The future of the Dutchman is a massive talking point at Anfield currently, ahead of his contract expiring at the end of the 2024/25 season.
Van Dijk has once again been colossal for Liverpool this season, starting every single Premier League game and continuing to stand out as the world’s leading centre-back.
He has shown why it is essential that the Reds tie him down to a new deal, and it looks as though the club are pushing hard to do exactly that.
Speaking to De Telegraaf [via Sport Witness], De Kraan said that Liverpool will “break open the bank” to retain the services of Van Dijk:
“Cody Gakpo, Ryan Gravenberch and Virgil van Dijk really started here in the Eredivisie. We didn’t realize at the time that they would become world stars.
“The first (Gakpo) is, according to the latest valuation in the new year, a player worth more than €100m. The second (Gravenberch) is moving quickly in that direction and one of these days they will break open the bank safe for Van Dijk to extend him one more time at Liverpool.”
Our thoughts on this latest Van Dijk update…
This is an update that will leave Liverpool supporters delighted, at a time when there is so much concern about what will happen next in his career, along with Trent Alexander-Arnold and Mohamed Salah.
Van Dijk is even arguably more important to tie down than either of his teammates, although the fanbase will likely be split about that.
Either way, the 33-year-old remains as important as he has ever been, and there is no reason why he shouldn’t drop off for another three or four years.
Van Dijk pace remains as electric as ever, which is incredible after suffering an ACL injury in 2020, so giving him at least a two-year extension makes perfect sense.
The skipper Liverpool appears to want to stay on but also wants to be given the contract that he feels he deserves, so fingers crossed that an agreement is reached as soon as possible.
