Virgil van Dijk has followed team-mate Mohamed Salah in penning a new two-year contract at Anfield to continue the Liverpool captain’s glittering spell on Merseyside
Liverpool’s announcement of Virgil van Dijk’s new contract had the captain admiring pictures of his best days at the club so far in a mock-up art gallery.
Which is quite fitting as he has shown defending is an art form during his seven years at Anfield. The Vincent van Gogh of centre-backs if you want. They are both Dutchmen after all.
There have been a few key figures in Liverpool’s triumphs since he joined the club. Jurgen Klopp, of course. Soon Arne Slot, too. Mo Salah’s goals, Alisson’s heroic goalkeeping, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson’s assists from full-back, Jordan Henderson’s leadership, Sadio Mane’s finishing, Roberto Firmino’s flair, the list goes on.
But Van Dijk is arguably most important. The defensive foundation which great teams have been built upon. He is a rock. “Take a walk around my centre half, gentlemen, He’s a colossus!”. They were once the words about Ron Yeats by Bill Shankly.
The problem with Van Dijk is you might struggle to walk around him. Few get past him you see. Still even now at 33. Liverpool have kept 20 clean sheets this season in games he’s featured in. He doesn’t miss many either.
Apart from the 2020-21 season when a cruciate injury wrecked his campaign and Liverpool’s defence of the title, he has been mostly available. Standards are not slipping either. He ranks in the top five for aerial duels won, interceptions, passing success and headed clearances so far this season.
He’s won 215 victories in 314 matches. Two more this term and he will be a two-time Premier League champion, as well as a Champions League, Club World Cup, FA Cup and, twice, Carabao Cup winner. Those stats and much more data will have been studied by Liverpool’s sports scientists and looked at by football chief Michael Edwards and sporting director Richard Hughes while negotiating a new deal with the player and his agent Neil Fewings.
They’ve decided, ultimately, that he’s worth a figure of around £40m across two seasons. Even if Van Dijk was to suffer any drop off in those two years, you still wouldn’t find a replacement near his level for that money.
In fact, the player believes he can play at the top level beyond when his new deal will run out when he will be almost 36. Still, it is a decision that won’t have been taken lightly. With Mo Salah penning a new contract, that’s probably around £80m on the books for the next 24 months.
Significant outlay but for two very significant players. A number of clubs were monitoring Van Dijk’s situation. Chelsea the latest reported, PSG another but there was no indication from the Dutchman’s camp that he was ready to speak with others. As he says, it was always Liverpool.
And for Liverpool, it was always Van Dijk. When a mishap in their chase for him in the summer of 2017 left Southampton reeling and refusing to do business, Liverpool did not panic and plunder millions into another target.
They knew he was the man they wanted. They waited another six months and secured him around Christmas time. It is one of the greatest presents the club’s fans have received. Even if it came at the cost of £75m. Money well spent.
All those pictures Van Dijk was looking at in that mock-up gallery prove that point. Now he will hope to paint a few more memories in the next two years.
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