Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has reportedly reached a final decision on whether he will sign a new contract with the Reds.
It is well-known that the 33-year-old, Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold are all due to become free agents in the summer of 2025 and can start negotiating pre-contract agreements with foreign clubs in January.
Sporting director Richard Hughes has therefore been left with the unenviable task of trying to agree extensions for all three stars, although Van Dijk has always cut a calm figure when asked about his own situation.
The former Southampton man will be celebrating his 34th birthday next July, but he remains an integral part of the Reds' defence, playing every minute of the current Premier League and Champions League campaigns as Liverpool lead the way in both tables.
According to the Anfield Watch, Van Dijk has now decided where he wants to play his football in the 2025-26 season, and the centre-back is ready to commit himself to a new Anfield contract.
Van Dijk agent 'informs suitors' of contract decision
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Van Dijk's agent has apparently started to let potential suitors know that his client will not be on the move next summer, and it is only a matter of time before his renewal is announced.
The report adds that the Netherlands international may have already put pen to paper on his fresh terms, but there is no cause for concern if he has not, as both he and Liverpool have reached a full agreement.
Despite Van Dijk's status as Liverpool's captain, the 33-year-old is thought to be earning significantly less than Salah at £220,000 per week, according to Capology, while Salah pockets £350,000 per week.
Van Dijk's lower wage packet was apparently a key factor in wrapping up those contract negotiations sooner than Salah's, although it is not clear how long the defender's new deal will be.
However, should Van Dijk extend his stay at Liverpool by at least three years, he would have spent over a decade at the club by the time his terms run out, having joined in a blockbuster switch from Southampton in January 2018.
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The centre-back has come up with 25 goals and 13 assists in 287 appearances for Liverpool since making the move to Merseyside, winning eight trophies including the Premier League and Champions League.
What about Salah and Alexander-Arnold's situations?
Liverpool working at full throttle to extend Van Dijk's terms may explain why Salah is yet to receive a single renewal offer from the hierarchy, as he revealed in a bombshell interview after last weekend's 3-2 win over Southampton.
The Egyptian claimed that he was "more out than in" while he runs down the final months of his current terms, although his comments were seen as more of a plea to the Liverpool board to ramp up talks as opposed to a desire to leave.
However, reports earlier this month claimed that Alexander-Arnold was rebuffing Liverpool's attempts to extend his deal, and there have been no real updates on the right-back's situation over the past fortnight.
Alexander-Arnold is still thought to be Real Madrid's number one choice to succeed Dani Carvajal, and Los Blancos are seemingly banking on being able to sign the Englishman on a free in 2025.
Ben Knapton
