Liverpool Need To Resolve Van Dijk’s Future Before January
I love Virgil van Dijk. I’ve said it countless times, and I’ll continue saying it. He’s the best centre-back I’ve seen play for Liverpool in my lifetime, and what he’s achieved at this football club deserves enormous respect.
But there’s something about his contract situation that makes me increasingly uncomfortable.
According to The Athletic, Virgil is earning somewhere in the region of £400,000 per week, and there is a possibility that discussions over his future could continue into 2027.
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Now, I understand why Liverpool gave him that contract in 2025. He’d earned it. He’d delivered trophies, performances and leadership that helped transform this football club.
I’ve never had an issue with rewarding him for that.
But we’re talking about a player who will be 36 next summer. And I have to ask a fairly straightforward question.
Can Liverpool really justify giving Virgil another contract on those wages?
For me, the answer is no.
Van Dijk Deserves Respect, But Liverpool Must Be Sensible
There’s a difference between appreciating what somebody has done for Liverpool and deciding what they should be paid in the future.
Virgil has been magnificent for us.
He’s been a huge part of the club’s success, and I absolutely loved hearing about his relationship with Alan Hansen, particularly the story about Virgil wanting him to present the Premier League trophy.
That’s the type of thing I want from a Liverpool captain.
I also loved hearing that he’d taken the younger players around the club museum to help them understand Liverpool’s history.
Those things matter.
They tell you something about the person, the leadership and the importance of having somebody like Virgil around the dressing room.
But we cannot ignore what’s happening on the pitch.
He’s still an elite defender in certain aspects of his game, particularly aerially and in how he reads situations. However, I don’t believe he’s playing at the level he was two or three years ago.
That’s not an insult. It’s what happens to footballers.
And if Liverpool are considering another one or two years, we’re potentially talking about a commitment worth more than £40 million at his current reported salary.
That’s an extraordinary amount of money for somebody approaching the final stages of his career.
I’d be happy to see Virgil stay if both parties can agree something sensible.
Perhaps a reduced basic wage with greater performance incentives makes sense.
But another £400,000 per week? I can’t support that.
Liverpool Cannot Afford Another Contract Distraction
What really concerns me is the apparent lack of urgency.
The Athletic suggests there is a strong relationship between Liverpool and Van Dijk, with both parties comfortable allowing negotiations to continue into next year.
That’s lovely, but I’m not particularly relaxed about it.
From January, overseas clubs can potentially begin discussing a future move with Virgil.
We’re already hearing about interest from Juventus, AC Milan, Barcelona and clubs in Turkey.
Whether any of those approaches develops into something serious remains to be seen.
But why would Liverpool willingly allow the situation to become another distraction?
We’ve been through enough contract sagas at this football club.
I don’t want to spend the second half of the season reading stories about our captain potentially leaving while we’re trying to compete for trophies and Champions League qualification.
Surely Liverpool know by now whether they want to keep him.
And surely Virgil has some idea of what he wants to do.
If the club wants him to stay, sit down and have the conversation.
If they believe it’s time to move on, be honest about that too.
What I don’t understand is the benefit of allowing uncertainty to drag on.
Liverpool’s Defensive Future Needs Experience
One of the other interesting stories from this week concerned Brighton defender Luka Vušković.
Florian Plettenberg has reported Liverpool’s interest in the 19-year-old, with a valuation around €100 million, approximately £85 million.
Now, I’m not questioning the lad’s potential.
But £85 million for another young centre-back?
Not for me.
We’ve already got Jeremy Jacquet, Giovanni Leoni and Ifeanyi Ndukwe coming through.
That’s an exciting collection of young defenders, and I genuinely believe Liverpool could have the foundations of their defence sorted for years.
What we need to consider is the experience surrounding them.
If Van Dijk leaves and Joe Gomez also departs when his contract expires, that’s an enormous amount of experience disappearing from the dressing room.
You cannot expect three young defenders to shoulder that responsibility immediately.
That’s why Ronald Araújo’s situation is so important.
I’ve been really impressed with him at Liverpool, particularly his performances at right-back. He’s brought aggression, defensive quality and an unexpected attacking threat.
I’d love Liverpool to make his move permanent.
But even then, if Virgil and Gomez both leave, I think we’d need another experienced centre-back.
Somebody around 25 or 26, preferably with plenty of senior football behind him.
My ideal scenario would actually be quite straightforward.
Virgil agrees a sensible extension, Liverpool make Araújo’s move permanent, and we continue developing Jacquet, Leoni and Ndukwe.
That gives us five centre-backs, a proper balance of youth and experience, and enough depth to compete across multiple competitions.
If Virgil decides to leave, then Liverpool need to replace that experience properly.
Spending £85 million on another teenager doesn’t solve the problem I’m worried about.
Liverpool Must Make The Right Decision On Van Dijk
I know some people will think I’m being disrespectful towards Virgil by questioning his wages.
I’m really not.
He’s earned every bit of admiration Liverpool supporters have for him.
But football clubs cannot make decisions purely on sentiment.
We’re already paying enormous wages to players throughout the squad, and if we’re committing that type of money, we need performances and trophies to justify it.
I also don’t want Liverpool making the opposite mistake and letting Virgil leave simply because they cannot agree a sensible compromise.
There’s still value in having him around.
There’s still value in what he can teach the younger lads.
And there’s certainly value in the leadership he provides.
But there has to be a balance.
Liverpool need to decide whether Virgil is part of their future, establish what that future should look like financially, and get the situation sorted.
Because the longer this goes on, the more unnecessary uncertainty we’re creating.
I want Virgil van Dijk to finish his Liverpool career with the respect he deserves.
I also want Liverpool to make the right decision for the football club.
And those two things should be perfectly compatible.
Much Love.