Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk are closing in on new two-year contracts at Liverpool.
Both players had entered the final months of their existing deals but a breakthrough in negotiations has been reached and the pair are set to sign new terms through to 2027.
The Athletic reported on December 4 that Liverpool had made a contract offer to Van Dijk, although at that stage it had fallen below his expectations and there was yet to be a breakthrough on deal value or length.
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The Athletic reported on December 8 Liverpool had made an opening contract offer for Salah. At that stage, despite confidence around Anfield that the 32-year-old would stay, an agreement was not agreed or close and uncertainty remained around his long-term future.
Salah and Van Dijk are two of three key Liverpool players out of contract in the summer, alongside Trent Alexander-Arnold, with Real Madrid working to close a deal to sign the right-back on a free transfer in the summer.
Van Dijk offered the strongest indication yet that he was set to stay at Liverpool beyond the end of his existing deal after Sunday’s Premier League defeat to Fulham, stating “progress” had been made in protracted negotiations.
In August, Van Dijk said he was no closer to agreeing terms with the club following Arne Slot’s arrival as Jurgen Klopp’s successor. In October, he stopped taking questions about his future in interviews, saying he is only interested in discussing matters on the pitch.
Speaking after March’s Champions League defeat to Paris Saint-Germain, Van Dijk said he still had “no idea” whether his career at the club would extend beyond this season.
Salah had previously said he was “probably more out than in” when he stopped for a rare post-match chat with the media following Liverpool’s 3-2 win over Southampton on November 24, adding that he was disappointed a formal offer had not been made at that point.
The Egypt international has enjoyed another fine season so far for Liverpool and has scored 32 goals in all competitions. Since joining Liverpool from Roma in 2017, he has won the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup and League Cup. His 243 goals in 394 appearances make him the club’s third all-time top scorer.
Van Dijk, meanwhile, joined Liverpool during the 2017-18 January transfer window in a then club-record £75million move from Southampton. The centre-back has won the Premier League, Champions League, two League Cups and one FA Cup during a seven-year spell at Anfield. He was made captain at the start of last season following Jordan Henderson’s departure.
Liverpool are top of the Premier League and return to action on Sunday against West Ham United.
(Bryn Lennon/Getty Images)
