Virgil van Dijk turns down Liverpool contract offer as talks ongoing with Reds

Liverpool skipper Virgil van Dijk is out of contract at the end of the season and he has reportedly turned down an offer from the Reds

Posted Thursday, December 05, 2024 by liverpool.com

Van Dijk has turned down the offer of a new contract from Liverpool, according to reports

Virgil van Dijk has reportedly turned down the offer of a contract extension at Liverpool as it fell short of his expectations.

The Dutch defender's current deal is set to expire at the end of this season, along with other key Liverpool players in Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold.

And though Van Dijk has previously stated his desire to remain with the club, Liverpool's first concrete offer is said to have been rejected by the club captain.

The Athletic says that there has been no breakthrough with Van Dijk over the length or the value of a possible extension for the 33-year-old.

Van Dijk joined Liverpool in January 2018 and has been integral to the club's success since then, winning the Premier League and the Champions League in 2020 and 2019 respectively, as well enjoying success in the domestic cups.

Despite being 33, Van Dijk remains at the top of his game and, considering his game is not dependent on his pace, it is natural for one to question why Liverpool is taking so long to tie the skipper down.

Van Dijk effectively neutered the threat of Erling Haaland during Sunday's 2-0 win over Manchester City, with Haaland yet to emerge with a win in four appearances against the former Southampton center-back.

It is Van Dijk's performances against Europe's elite strikers that make him such an important player for Liverpool; just four days prior to the win over City, a Real Madrid side containing Kylian Mbappe also left the Etihad without registering a goal.

Meanwhile, the report adds that it is anticipated that Mohamed Salah will soon receive a concrete renewal offer from the Reds, while talks are also still ongoing with right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold, who is the subject of interest from Real Madrid.