Virgil van Dijk will enter the final 12 months of his Liverpool contract this summer, just before he turns 35 years old. Naturally, the club are starting to think about their next chapter without the influential centre-back and captain.
Like Mohamed Salah, Van Dijk penned a new two-year contract in April 2025. It was a huge sign of commitment from the duo and an even bigger statement of intent from the club. They went on to lift their second Premier League trophy together, and first under new manager Arne Slot, but there’s now a lot of uncertainty hanging over the Reds.
Liverpool are trudging their way through an unexpectedly difficult season and calls for Slot to be replaced have been rife following particularly dismal results. Salah’s future also hangs in the balance as links to Saudi Arabia are prominent once again.
Little has been mentioned regarding Van Dijk’s position beyond this season. However, after June, the skipper will have just one year left on his contract and will likely be starting to think about how he wants to spend the latter stages of his career.
Will Virgil van Dijk leave Liverpool?
There will eventually come a day when Van Dijk leaves Anfield, whether that’s as a free agent, a retired player or via a transfer. Unlike Salah, there hasn’t been much speculation surrounding his position at the club and whether this season’s frustrations could steer him towards the exit.
It will take a lot to push him away, though. Van Dijk has often spoken about how much he loves being at Liverpool, which will have fans hoping he will see out his career in red.
“It was always Liverpool. That was the case. It was always in my head, it was always the plan and it was always Liverpool,” the skipper said after signing his latest new deal. “There wasn’t any doubt in my head that this is the place to be for me and my family. I’m one of Liverpool.”
Whether Van Dijk retires at Liverpool or not, the club will need to replace him at some point. Signing a new centre-back to fill his boots is one thing but who would become the next captain?
Dominik Szoboszlai shows he would be a strong Liverpool captain
Dominik Szoboszlai is a firm fan favourite at Anfield and has been one of their standout players this season. His performances have impressed those around him, particularly Jamie Carragher, who dubbed the Hungarian Liverpool’s best player of the season in November.
His impressive goals, work-rate, and ability to play out of position have done more than earn Liverpool results this campaign, they have shown him as the leader he is. Szoboszlai already captains the Hungary national team, so it’s likely he would be a natural candidate to eventually replace Van Dijk anyway.
But his recent comments ahead of playing Premier League leaders Arsenal just showed how much he would thrive with the armband at Liverpool.
During an interview with Sky Sports, the midfielder was asked whether he thought he was coming up against the champions of England when the Reds face Arsenal on Thursday.
“It’s a long way [to go]. The Premier League is not easy, you don’t win it by January. So I don’t think we are playing against the champions, they are playing against the champions,” Szoboszlai replied.
“Of course they are one of the favourites for this year — unbelievable team, really good players. But we shouldn’t also forget about Man City, about Aston Villa, who are doing very good. So, yeah. No, we don’t play against the champions. They play against the champions.”
Szoboszlai’s response was exactly what players and fans would have wanted to hear from a captain. Respectful of the opposition but reminding the world that until the end of the season, Liverpool remain the Premier League champions, and that deserves respect.
His persona oozes confidence and his performances live up to that on the pitch. If he is still at the club when Van Dijk eventually leaves, it seems Szoboszlai is doing all the right things to establish himself as a natural replacement as captain.