**Virgil van Dijk’s Liverpool contract is ticking down, and former scout Mick Brown has now made a significant new claim about him signing an extension.**
The Dutchman has been one of _the_ great players of the modern era at Anfield, captaining the Reds superbly and winning both the Champions League and Premier League, among many other trophies.
Van Dijk is in the final year of his current Liverpool deal, however, and both he and the club will have a big decision to make in the coming weeks and months.
Speaking to [_Football Insider_](https://www.footballinsider247.com/liverpool/liverpool-to-hold-virgil-van-dijk-talks-amid-new-concern), Brown claimed he “fully expects” talks over an extension to get underway soon, given the 35-year-old’s continued importance:
_“The concern for Liverpool is about what their back line looks like without Van Dijk. We can talk about his contract, his performances, his age, but without him in that defence, they would be significantly weaker._
_“They’ve obviously brought in players around him as well, but if they let Van Dijk go, they lose his leadership and organisation which has been such a big part of his game._
_“I’ve watched Jeremy Jacquet a couple of times now and he looks like a good young player, but there are still parts of his game that need work if he’s going to be a top-class defender._
_“I fully expect Liverpool will be sitting down to discuss Van Dijk’s contract soon, because one way or another they’re going to have to make a decision before the end of the season._
_“They might wait and see how he gets on between now and next year, because there is something to be said for his age and whether he might be slowing down.”_
**New Virgil van Dijk deal a no-brainer for Liverpool**
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Van Dijk is again showing this season that he remains almost as good as ever, with few signs of him slowing down despite his advancing years as a footballer.
There is no reason why he can’t continue to perform at an elite level for another few years, so tying him down to a new Liverpool contract is a no-brainer.
He can mentor young duo Jeremy Jacquet and Giovanni Leoni as they grow, while continuing to lead the Reds, before eventually moving on when the time is right.
That time isn’t now, though, and seeing Van Dijk depart at the end of this season would be a massive blow, with the same applying to Alisson in goal.