Liverpool is reportedly on the verge of finalizing a new contract for team captain Virgil van Dijk, shortly after confirming Mohamed Salah’s extension.
According to Pete O’Rourke on Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, both players’ renewed contracts are essentially valued at over £100 million each when accounting for the difficulty and expense of replacing them with players of similar quality.
Despite being in their early 30s—Salah is 32, and Van Dijk is 33—both remain key figures in new manager Arne Slot’s plans. Van Dijk is expected to agree to a two-year deal, mirroring the terms of Salah’s agreement.
Salah’s contract extension was made official on April 11, and Van Dijk is expected to follow suit after months of speculation. The club remained confident about keeping both players throughout the season, especially after a December report from Football Insider indicated their likely renewals.
However, uncertainty surrounding Trent Alexander-Arnold—who has been linked with Real Madrid—has complicated Liverpool’s original plan to secure all three star players together.
While Liverpool is buoyed by Salah and Van Dijk’s commitments, the club is actively seeking to bolster its defense. Scouting for new center-backs began as early as February in anticipation of a defensive rebuild.
In the forward line, Liverpool is also tracking West Ham’s Jarrod Bowen as a potential long-term successor to Salah, with Newcastle’s Alexander Isak considered another option.
These contract renewals strengthen Liverpool’s title hopes, but significant changes are expected under Slot’s leadership. Former Manchester United head scout Mick Brown told Football Insider that as many as ten core players could depart within the next two to three years.
The list of possible future exits includes Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Konaté, Robertson, Van Dijk, and Tsimikas, along with ongoing uncertainty surrounding the futures of Salah, Luis Díaz, Darwin Núñez, and Diogo Jota.
