Virgil van Dijk seemed unsure when asked about Mo Salah‘s future at Liverpool, but he insisted the Egyptian is “still the leader and important” for the Reds.
Thankfully, Salah’s disagreements with Arne Slot have been placed on ice and he is beginning to re-find his feet, having started six consecutive matches since returning from AFCON.
There are still questions over whether he will remain at Anfield past this summer, though, with a recent WinWin report claiming the 33-year-old is Al-Ittihad’s No. 1 transfer target for the summer.
The situation is what it is,” said Van Dijk when asked by media, including the Liverpool Echo, about Salah’s future.
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Wednesday, January 28, 2026: Liverpool's Mohamed Salah celebrates with team-mate captain Virgil van Dijk after scoring the third goal during the UEFA Champions League match between Liverpool FC and Qaraba? FK at Anfield. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
“The full focus is on trying to make this season a success first and we will see how then the season ends, and then you never know what happens.
“I always want Mo to stay because I’m a good friend of him and we’ve been through the highs and not-so-highs – I don’t want to call them lows – together for so many years.
“The same as me, he’s got one more year [left on his contract] so we will see.”
Virgil van Dijk insists Mo Salah “is still so important”
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Saturday, February 14, 2026: Liverpool's Mohamed Salah celebrates after scoring the third goal during the FA Cup 4th Round match between Liverpool FC and Brighton & Hove Albion at Anfield. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
Salah’s form has dropped off a cliff this season. While there are many factors that may have led to this, the fact still remains.
However, against Brighton there were signs that there is still life left in his boots. After all, it was only last season that he produced arguably the best season of any player in Europe.
A man who scores 34 goals and provides 23 assists in 52 appearances shouldn’t turn bad overnight.
After Liverpool’s FA Cup fourth round win, Van Dijk added: “Mo is still so important for us.
“Last week, he had an assist again and broke another record and he is still the leader and important for me personally, as a captain, to have around and to have him on the pitch, and his presence benefits the team.
“He always gives the team more than goals. There’s obviously a lot of focus on his goals at the moment and that’s also part of his life because he puts the standards so extremely high, so when he doesn’t score as much he gets criticised.
“He has to stay calm and try to be important with everything he still can do and there is so much still. He is important for us on and off the pitch.”
In a perfect world, we would all like Salah to see out his contract as it is essential to have experienced winners in the dressing room.
It seems unlikely, though, that the club would be willing to let a player who earns up to £480,000 per week – that is if all bonuses and clauses are met – sit on the bench.