Liverpool is close to agreeing on a new contract with captain Virgil van Dijk, shortly after extending Mohamed Salah’s deal.
Football Insider’s Pete O’Rourke revealed on the Inside Track podcast that both contracts are effectively worth over £100 million each, considering how difficult and costly it would be to find comparable replacements.
Even though Salah (32) and Van Dijk (33) are in their early 30s, they remain central to new head coach Arne Slot’s strategy. Van Dijk is expected to sign a two-year contract, similar to Salah’s recently finalized deal.
Salah’s extension was officially announced on April 11, and Van Dijk is anticipated to finalize his shortly after long-standing speculation. The club had always been optimistic about keeping both players, especially following a December report predicting their likely renewals.
However, efforts to secure long-term deals for all three core players—Salah, Van Dijk, and Trent Alexander-Arnold—have been disrupted by growing rumors linking Alexander-Arnold with Real Madrid.
With Salah and Van Dijk committed, Liverpool is now focusing on reinforcing its backline. Defensive scouting reportedly began in February as part of a broader rebuild.
Up front, the club is keeping an eye on West Ham’s Jarrod Bowen as a potential successor to Salah, while Newcastle’s Alexander Isak is also under consideration.
These high-profile renewals boost Liverpool’s title ambitions, but a broader overhaul may be on the horizon. According to former Manchester United scout Mick Brown, up to ten core players could leave in the next few years, including Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Konaté, Robertson, Van Dijk, and Tsimikas. Questions also remain about the long-term futures of Salah, Luis Díaz, Darwin Núñez, and Diogo Jota
