Liverpool may decide to let Virgil van Dijk leave when his contract expires at the end of this season, according to a huge claim from former scout Mick Brown.
The 35-year-old is one of the best players in Reds history, proving to be a colossal figure at the heart of the defence from the moment he arrived in January 2018.
Van Dijk is out of contract in the summer of 2027, however, and as things stand, there has been no significant progress regarding an extension beyond that point.
Speaking to Football Insider, Brown claimed that Liverpool could be happy to part ways with the legendary Dutch defender at that point, given his age:
“Liverpool have got a problem with Van Dijk and his contract situation. He’s 35 years old now, he’ll be turning 36 when his contract expires next summer, so even if they do decide to keep him around, how much longer has he got at this level?
“So when you factor that into your thinking, I think they will be ready to let him move on, and then they’ll have to look into his replacement. Given what he’s done for them over the years, that’s a lot easier said than done, but I’m told work is already ongoing behind the scenes because they know they will need somebody.
“They’ve definitely got major concerns at centre-half, and with the rest of the back line as well, because there are question marks about a number of those defensive players. So losing Van Dijk will be a blow to them, but it’s something they have to be prepared for and that is already being considered behind the scenes.”
Liverpool MUST sort new deal for Virgil van Dijk
Losing Van Dijk next year would be a massive blow for Liverpool, with the captain’s performances this season showing what a huge player he remains.
Granted, he may not quite be at the absolute peak of his powers, but he is still arguably the very centre-back around, with Jamie Carragher outlining his iconic status at Anfield last year:
“At Liverpool a lot of people get called legends, because they have won the league or the Champions League, there’s lots of them,” said Carragher as he reflected on Van Dijk’s latest display. But if you want to differentiate between, I call them giants of the club. I’m talking like Stevie [Steven Gerrard], Kenny Dalglish, [Graeme] Souness, Alan Hansen, John Barnes, Mo Salah, the top sort of seven or eight players.
“Without a doubt he is right in the middle of that. And he’s not at the bottom of the list, I can assure you. He will go down as one of the greatest players ever to play for Liverpool – not one of the greatest centre-backs, one of the greatest players.”
Liverpool have already lost Mohamed Salah a year earlier than expected, which was arguably a mistake, but they cannot afford to lose Van Dijk too early.
There is no reason why he can’t remain an elite player for another two or three years – Thiago Silva shone at the top level until he was 40, for example – so an extension has to be considered a priority for the Reds.