According to Virgil van Dijk, who inked a new two-year contract worth up to £400,000 per week, he never had any doubts about staying at Liverpool.
After he scored the game-winning goal against West Ham on Sunday, the Liverpool captain signaled that a deal was imminent, following Mohamed Salah in pledging his future to Anfield until 2027.
Liverpool said on Thursday that Van Dijk had agreed to the long-awaited deal, extending his wildly successful Anfield career to nearly ten years and until his 36th birthday. Although he will get a salary comparable to his former deal, which was £220,000 per week, performance-related bonuses could increase his weekly compensation to about £400,000.
Neil Fewings, the defender’s agent, and Richard Hughes, Liverpool’s sporting director, had been negotiating a contract for months. Both parties said early on that they intended to prolong Van Dijk’s stay, despite ambiguity and conjecture surrounding his status.
Liverpool was always the team, the captain stated. Liverpool was constantly in the forefront of my mind, along with the plan. I had no question that this was the right environment for my family and me. I’m a Liverpool fan.
Van Dijk signs new two-year Liverpool contract
The announcement was made six days after Salah also agreed to a contract through 2027. At the end of June, Trent Alexander-Arnold, the third-leading Liverpool player whose contract expires this summer, is anticipated to sign with Real Madrid. Before what the captain previously acknowledged would be “a big summer” for the team, Liverpool saw the retention of Van Dijk and Salah as a declaration of their ambition.
“Hopefully, by the end of the season, we’ll have a fantastic party together,” Van Dijk stated on Thursday. We must acknowledge that we still have work to do. However, when I look farther forward, I find it exciting—exciting for what lies ahead.
“I hope we have a great preseason since the Premier League season will be extremely challenging. What awaits us the following year? Since everyone will want to get better and acquire new things, we should too.
After that, we will have to compete and demonstrate our abilities and reliability. Furthermore, and perhaps more significantly, we must like it. Without a doubt, I will, as I am aware of how fortunate and privileged I am to play for Liverpool FC.
