Mohamed Salah and Virgil Van Dijk are getting closer to new two -year contracts in Liverpool.
The two players had entered the last months of their existing transactions, but a breakthrough in the negotiations has been reached and the pair should sign new terms until June 2027.
Athletics reported on December 4 that Liverpool had made a contractual offer to Van Dijk, although this stage, he had fallen below his expectations and there was not yet a breakthrough on the value or duration of the agreement.
Athletics On December 8, Liverpool had made an opening contract offer in Salah. At this stage, despite the confidence in Anfield that the 32 -year -old man would remain, an agreement has not been agreed or close and that uncertainty has remained around his future in the long term.
Salah and Van Dijk are two of the three main Liverpool players out of contract in summer, alongside Trent Alexander-Arnold, with Real Madrid working to conclude an agreement to sign the right back on a free transfer in summer.
Van Dijk offered the strongest indication to this day that he had to stay in Liverpool beyond the end of his existing agreement after the defeat of the Premier League on Sunday by Fulham, declaring that “progress” had been made in prolonged negotiations.
Alexander-Arnold is also out of contract in a few months (Gareth Copley / Getty Images)
In August, Van Dijk said that he was not closer to the conditions with the club after the arrival of Arne Slot as successor to Jurgen Klopp. In October, the 33 -year -old man ceased to answer questions about his future in interviews, saying that he was only interested in discussing questions on the ground.
Salah had previously declared that he was “probably more outside than” when he stopped for a rare post-match conversation with journalists after the 3-2 victory of Liverpool on Southampton on November 24, adding that it was disappointed that an official offer had not been made at that time.
The Egyptian international had another great season for Liverpool and scored 32 goals in all competitions. Since he joined Liverpool since Roma in 2017, he won the Premier League, the Champions League, the FA Cup and the League Cup. His 243 goals in 394 appearances make him the third top scorer of all time in the club.
Van Dijk, on the other hand, joined Liverpool at the transfer window of January 2017-2018 in a move of 75 million pounds Sterling (now $ 96 million) in Southampton. The central rear won the Premier League, the Champions League, two championship cups and a FA Cup during its seven -year fate in Anfield. He was appointed captain at the start of last season after the departure of Jordan Henderson.
Liverpool leads the Premier League and returns to action on Sunday against West Ham United.
“ The perfect boost for Liverpool ” – Analysis
By the correspondent of Liverpool James Pearce
The resolution of contractual situations concerning key staff was one of the greatest challenges that Richard Hughes inherited when he started working as a director of the Liverpool sportsman a little over a year ago.
It was a long road, but with Salah and Van Dijk by the signing of the two -year extensions, it will give a perfect boost for the side of Arne Slot as they get closer to the crown champion of the Premier League. There has always been confidence internally in Anfield that the duo would remain there.
Alexander-Arnold, whose current agreement also expires this summer, was a different case given his age and the fact that he had Madrid who was pursuing him. The 26 -year -old English international should make a free transfer to the Bernabeu.
However, Salah and Van Dijk had both clearly indicated publicly that their preference was to stay in Anfield and that their performance in 2024-25 strengthened their hand in negotiations.
Salah scored 32 goals and contributed 22 assists in 45 appearances in all competitions, while Van Dijk was the defensive rock on which the Liverpool title challenge was built. Dutch management also makes him a huge asset.
The owner Fenway Sports Group has already been reluctant to distribute new lucrative offers to twilight players in their careers. However, Salah, who will be 33 years old in June, and Van Dijk, who will be 34 years old in July, proved that they still had so much to offer.
(Top Photo: Bryn Lennon / Getty Images)
