Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has rubbished claims about having to sign a contract extension at Anfield by January 1.
The Dutchman was at his imperious best for the Reds on Sunday, leading the troops superbly in the 6-3 win away to Tottenham.
Van Dijk made 11 defensive actions and six recoveries, per FotMob, in yet another reminder of why Liverpool need him to sign a new deal.
It is common knowledge that the 33-year-old is out of contract next summer, along with Trent Alexander-Arnold and Mohamed Salah, and he will be able to talk with foreign clubs from New Year’s Day.
Speaking to the press after Sunday’s match, however, Van Dijk shut down any concern that an agreement would have to be in place with the Reds over an extension by that date.
“There is no deadline at all,” Van Dijk said after insisting there was “no” new update on his contract situation.
“We will see what the future brings.
“I focus on Leicester at the moment,” he added. “Well, going home as soon as possible [first] to see my family, have a nice couple of days and then full focus on Leicester.”
Van Dijk also assessed Liverpool’s thrilling victory at Spurs on Sunday, praising the performance but also admitting that it wasn’t perfect.
“I think we played a very, very good game for 70 minutes in total,” he added.
“We take the three points and we have a good Christmas. It was a very good game for 70 minutes in total. 20 minutes unfortunately not. But overall a very good win.
“It’s a great game. Big result. But it’s only three points. We move on. It’s great before Christmas. It’s a good feeling to go into Christmas.
“But for us personally the focus will already be on Leicester, quickly.”
Van Dijk has been such a fantastic captain for Liverpool since replacing Jordan Henderson in the summer of 2023, exuding calm but also leading with a genuine aura.
Reds supporters are divided over who they most want to see sign a new deal out of the skipper, Alexander-Arnold and Salah, but Van Dijk is still the player who holds this team together.
With each passing week, the more he strengthens his argument for being the greatest defender in Premier League history, and it is imperative that a contract is signed.
At this point, it would be a huge surprise if that didn’t happen, but the sooner it does, the more the entire Liverpool fanbase can take a collective sigh of relief.
