Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has indicated there was “progress” in talks over a long-awaited new deal to maintain him at Anfield.
The 33-year-old, like team-mates Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold, is out of contract this summer season, however has revealed his future might be near being resolved.
Requested after Sunday’s 3-2 Premier League defeat at Fulham if there had been any progress within the discussions, Van Dijk instructed reporters: “There is progress, yeah.”
Pushed on what that meant, the Netherlands worldwide added: “Pay attention, these are inner discussions and we’ll see.
“I love the club, I love the fans and they were there for us again [at Fulham]. We wanted to reward them, but I ask them to be there again on Sunday and make the stadium an amazing venue like always for us.”
The runaway leaders face West Ham at Anfield on Sunday sitting 11 factors away from second-placed Arsenal and figuring out a second title in six seasons might be simply weeks away.
Nevertheless, the futures of influential trio Van Dijk, Salah and Alexander-Arnold have grow to be main speaking factors in current weeks, with hypothesis that home-grown expertise Alexander-Arnold may depart for Actual Madrid having sparked an offended response from sections of the membership’s help.
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Premier League highlights of the match between Fulham and Liverpool.
Van Dijk’s feedback are more likely to be higher acquired, though he insists he’s concentrating solely on the duty of successful the league.
He stated: “That’s definitely the mentality in our group, that the job is not done and now we just have to recover from this physically and mentally and put our minds on West Ham at home.”
Evaluation: Van Dijk presence stays as necessary as ever
Virgil van Dijk is a rock for Liverpool – and it appears to be like more likely to keep that method
Sky Sports activities Laura Hunter:
Critics are fast to leap on Virgil van Dijk on the first trace of a mistake. And there have been loads in an error-strewn efficiency in opposition to Fulham on the weekend. However the defender was not the one perpetrator nor does that anomaly cut back his significance to Liverpool now or sooner or later.
This can be a man who has performed most minutes within the Premier League this season, excelling in nearly all. As Arne Slot factors out: “If you play 50-60 games a season there will be one or two moments where he could have done better.”
Van Dijk’s contract saga has been exaggerated by the simultaneous conditions of Mo Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold – has there ever been real doubt the soon-to-be 34-year-old wouldn’t lengthen his keep? Whereas Actual Madrid have been sniffing round Alexander-Arnold and curiosity appears countless from Saudi Arabia in Salah, no such rumours have emerged about suitors for Van Dijk. An exit felt the least seemingly consequence.
Slot will however be delighted to tie one in all his three prized belongings down. It was solely three weeks in the past the Dutchman was telling journalists he had “no idea” the place his future lay. That public assertion was absurd in hindsight however maybe it accelerated talks. There’s mileage in his Liverpool captaincy but.
