Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has affirmed that he loves the club but that the future is uncertain ahead of his side's clash against Leicester City at Anfield on Boxing Day in the Premier League.
The Reds are first in the league and have a four-point lead on Chelsea, a six-point advantage over Arsenal and a 12-point buffer over Manchester City, despite playing a game fewer than all of their title rivals.
Boss Arne Slot has overseen 21 victories from his 25 games in charge of the club, and his side also boast the best defensive and offensive records in the top flight.
However, in a blow to Reds fans, captain Van Dijk said in an interview with Prime Video that he does not know if his future lies on Merseyside, saying: "I love the club, the club loves me. I love the fans, the fans love me and it is a very good foundation to be successful."
"We will see what the future brings. It's not about me but I would love to be the first [Dutch player to captain a side that wins the Premier League]. I think it is there. That is what we work for as a team."
Very little has gone wrong on the pitch for Liverpool, but with Van Dijk set to be free to talk to teams abroad from January onwards due to the expiry of his contract in the upcoming summer, it is imperative that the club find a solution to the current impasse.
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Why Van Dijk's age should not be a concern
Liverpool owners Fenway Sports Group have at times come under fire for their supposedly strict financial models, with the club preferring to move on older players while signing younger talents with potential to develop.
Van Dijk will be 34 years of age in July 2025, and there have been suggestions that FSG would not look to renew the Dutchman's contract, seeing an extension on substantial wages as inherently risky.
It should be said that Van Dijk's play style lends itself well to longevity at the highest level given he rarely - if ever - gets drawn into frantic, energy draining battles with opposition forwards.
The captain himself said that he could "play for another three, four years at least at the highest level", and it is easy to see him continuing to excel for years to come.
Allowing Van Dijk's contract saga to drag on into 2025 could be dangerous and Liverpool risk creating unwelcome distractions at a time when the club should be pulling together to try and win the Premier League, especially if the Dutchman was to begin negotiations with other teams in January.
The same could be said of Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold, who are both set to leave Anfield for free at the end of 2024-25 unless a compromise is reached.
If the trio were to renew terms with Liverpool, they would be able to focus solely on footballing matters and give their all to the club in the latter months of the season.
Lewis Nolan
