Peter Henry
Liverpool centre-back Virgil Van Dijk is set to sign a bumper new contract with Liverpool and it is linked to Harry Maguire’s £80 million move to arch-rivals Manchester United.
Dutch captain Van Dijk has made a mockery of those who questioned his ability when he moved to Anfield in a £75 million deal from Southampton in January 2017, with the 27-year-old having now established himself as the world’s leading centre-back.
According to the Mirror the newly crowned UEFA Men’s Player of the Year is set to be rewarded for his superb performances at the heart of Jurgen Klopp’s defence with a new six-year contract.
The report suggests that Van Dijk’s representatives have in fact used Maguire’s record-breaking move to Old Trafford as leverage is negotiating a huge pay rise for their client, whose initial Anfield contract sees him earn £125,000 a week.
Van Dijk’s team have been working on a deal in recent months and he now looks set to sign a contract worth £200,000-a-week, a deal which will tie him down to Liverpool until the summer of 2025.
Few will dispute the highly-rated centre-back receiving improved terms, with Van Dijk’s presence having transformed a Liverpool defence once seen as the clubs biggest weakness, into Jurgen Klopp’s sides biggest strength.
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