Virgil van Dijk has committed his future to Liverpool by signing a new two-year contract extension, the team announced Thursday, ending months of speculation about his plans.
The new deal will keep the Dutch defender at Anfield until July 2027, providing stability to Liverpool\'s backline.
Van Dijk\'s previous contract was set to expire this summer, with negotiations between sporting director Richard Hughes and the player\'s representative, Neil Fewings, having progressed over several months.
Sources told ESPN that throughout the negotiation process, both parties clearly expressed their mutual desire to extend the center-back\'s tenure at Liverpool.
The contract renewal comes shortly after Liverpool secured a new deal for star forward Mohamed Salah. Van Dijk, 33, joined Liverpool from Southampton in January 2018 for a then-world record fee for a defender and has since established himself as one of the premier central defenders in world football.
During his time at Anfield, the Netherlands international has made over 300 appearances and played a crucial role in winning seven major honors, including the Premier League title and the Champions League.
His consistent performances this season have helped Liverpool position themselves as serious contenders for what would be the club\'s 20th league championship. Van Dijk remains one of their most productive players and has a WhoScored rating of 7.08 this season.
With both Van Dijk and Salah now secured, attention turns to the future of Trent Alexander-Arnold, whose contract situation remains unresolved amid persistent links to Real Madrid.
\"I\'m very happy, very proud,\" Van Dijk said in a statement. \"There are so many emotions obviously that go through my head right now speaking about it. It\'s a proud feeling, it\'s a feeling of joy. It\'s just incredible. The journey I\'ve had so far in my career, to be able to extend it with another two years at this club is amazing and I\'m so happy.\"
\"It was always Liverpool. That was the case. It was always in my head, it was always the plan and it was always Liverpool,\" Van Dijk added. \"There wasn\'t any doubt in my head that this is the place to be for me and my family. I\'m one of Liverpool. Someone called me the other day an adopted Scouser -- I\'m really proud to hear these things, it gives me a great feeling.\"
Via ESPN