Liverpool return to Premier League action on Saturday when they host Fulham at Anfield.
The leaders didn’t play last weekend as the Merseyside derby against Everton was postponed due to bad weather, which allowed second-placed Chelsea to cut their lead at the top to four points.
Since then, Arne Slot’s side have moved a step closer to qualification for the knockout stages of the Champions League by beating Spanish side Girona 1-0, maintaining their perfect record in the competition this season.
Slot will be desperate to see his side pick up all three points against the Cottagers on Saturday, with the in-form Blues having a favourable run of fixtures to end 2024.
In the meantime, it has emerged that one of Liverpool’s most important players has rejected a new deal with the club.
As per Football Insider, captain Virgil Van Dijk has rejected Liverpool’s contract offer due to a disagreement over the length of the proposed deal.
The central defender is one of three key members of Slot’s squad – along with Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold – that are currently in the final year of their respective contracts.
Van Dijk is said to have rejected an initial contract offer from Liverpool
Those in charge of the Reds are therefore hoping to reach agreements with all three players, but the report claims that Van Dijk has rebuffed an initial offer.
Despite the initial setback, the report does also claim that there is willingness from both the club and the player to reach an agreement, with Van Dijk believed to be keen to stay put on Merseyside.
The 33-year-old Dutchman joined the Reds from Southampton in January 2018 and has since played 290 times for the club across all competitions.
He has lifted no fewer than eight trophies during his time with Liverpool, including the Premier League and Champions League.