Virgil van Dijk’s latest contract update will have come as music to the ears of many a Liverpool fan – one of his former teammates, though, has already explained why “progress” might not be the positive it appears to be.
Van Dijk’s future has been a big concern for the Reds throughout the season. The defender, along with Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold, is set to be out of contract in the summer, with still no clear indication of where his future lies.
Unlike Alexander-Arnold, who looks to be edging closer to a move to Real Madrid, Van Dijk hasn’t been shy of discussing his future. While most of his updates haven’t provided any more clarity, his most recent interview at the weekend gave reason to be optimistic that he will be extending his stay at Anfield.
“There is progress, yeah,” he told reporters after the defeat to Fulham. Pushed for details and whether that might mean he’s staying put, Van Dijk added: “I don’t know, we’ll see. These are internal discussions and we’ll see.”
Compared to the silence that Alexander-Arnold has been employing, those comments will be seen as a positive sign from a lot of supporters – although they perhaps shouldn’t get too far ahead of themselves.
This isn’t the first time Liverpool has been locked in discussions over a new deal for a modern club legend. Just two years ago, Roberto Firmino felt he was on course for a new contract, but we all know how that particular saga ended.
Writing in his autobiography ‘Si Senor’ about the discussions, Firmino said: “In August 2022, while still on pre-season, Liverpool told my representatives that they wanted me to stay as well. A contract renewal wasn’t something I lost sleep over back then; it seemed like a formality, a matter of time…
“My representatives were talking with the club about the contract renewal and disagreements were starting to arise,” he continued, revealing that both parties were at odds when they eventually did engage in contract discussions. “The club saw things one way, we saw them another…
“We returned from Dubai, and then it was time to definitely sort out my contract, which had always been my desire. I made my intentions clear to my agents. I wanted to stay. I didn’t want to hear about offers from other European clubs or other parts of the world. My life was in Liverpool…”
He continued: “A difference in opinion about my role was emerging. In the view of my representatives, I was a top-tier player in world football and should be given a renewal that reflected that. From the club’s business perspective, Roberto Firmino’s peak had passed.
“My salary was quite high, significant investments had been made in new players and some contract extensions… In the club’s view, the future was secured with Gakpo, Darwin, Luis, and Diogo Jota. And, of course, Salah had renewed his contract.
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“I still thought there was a place for me in this attack… Klopp had told the management he wanted me to stay, but the club’s view was that I would no longer be a protagonist…
“I accepted a shorter contract – one year instead of two. I told the club I would accept a significant salary reduction. That wasn’t an issue. Money didn’t matter.
“But communication was muddled and responses were slow. One week… three weeks… a month. We kept compromising, but it didn’t seem like there was a real willingness on the other side to finalise negotiations.”
Eventually, Firmino reached a decision, bringing an end to his eight-year spell at the club: “Things dragged on through January and February. By that point, my agents told me that they were only continuing negotiations with the club out of respect for my desire to stay and the love we had for Liverpool.
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“On the field, I wasn’t the figure I had been, my grip on a place ever more precarious… I was ready. I was back, but I wasn’t playing. The boss was avoiding me now. I wanted to demand an explanation for what was happening, but I couldn’t get his attention…
“A concern that didn’t exist before, a possibility I had never truly imagined, was becoming real. Maybe they really didn’t want me. Maybe it really was over.”
Van Dijk is in a slightly different situation to the one Firmino found himself in two years ago. The defender is still permanent fixture in the side, and also club captain. Still, given he turns 34 in July, Liverpool may already be planning for his successor, and that could have an impact on the contract discussions.
The fact that his talks have dragged out like Firmino’s is also a little concerning. It seems we will be getting a conclusion to Van Dijk’s contract saga soon, and hopefully it will have a different outcome than the Brazilian’s.
