Though Mo Salah and Virgil van Dijk are set to sign two-year deals at Liverpool, their contract extensions could benefit the Reds for much longer than just the next couple of seasons.
Finally.
After a year of mind games, media nudges and cryptic social posts, Salah and Van Dijk’s new contracts are on the brink of being officially confirmed.
The negotiations have been drawn out, fan debates tedious and we still don’t even know what colour Trent Alexander-Arnold will wear next season.
However, what we do know is that Liverpool’s two most prominent figures over the past seven years will be reporting for duty in Kirkby come August, ready for another intense campaign.
The club and players have reportedly settled on a contract length of two years for both Van Dijk and Salah, something that should benefit Liverpool beyond their expiration in 2027.
Planning for the future
In the short term, the captain and Salah will remain key figures in the starting XI. It does have to be acknowledged, though, that they are 33 years old and 32 years old respectively.
While Van Dijk’s playing style and the Egyptian’s incredible fitness are both mitigations against their age, time catches us all eventually and it will be interesting to see how the pair are faring in two years’ time.
While the clock will ultimately become inescapable for the senior duo, Liverpool have bought time when it comes to planning for their successors.
It is an impossible job to replace Salah on the right, but an extra year or two does give Liverpool scope to develop their style to accommodate their eventual departures.
While Van Dijk and Salah are both expected to be just as prominent next year as this, they could begin to be used more sparingly as their contracts run down again.
Hopefully, Liverpool are proactive and use the time gained to sign players who can step into their shoes upon their eventual exits, whenever that may be.
The Reds now have two summers to recruit in defence and attack which would allow the incomers time to bed into the club, rather than expecting them to hit the heights of their seniors from the very start.
The job of stepping into Salah and Van Dijk’s shoes isn’t an easy one, but Liverpool have now given themselves a head start in finding the best solutions.
They also have a better bargaining position, as the Reds would have faced sky-high prices with opposition clubs knowing they needed replacements quickly. That scenario could now be avoided.
Liverpool mean business
The extensions of the No. 4 and No. 11 also make the picture clearer for those at the club and the players considering a move to Merseyside.
Like last season, when Arne Slot took over from Jurgen Klopp, it was understandable that individuals wanted to see how things played out before putting pen to paper.
If Van Dijk and Salah were to leave this summer, along with Alexander-Arnold, the Reds would again be in a state of uncertainty.
However, their impending signatures will leave players who have contracts expiring next season, like Ibrahima Konate, arguably more likely to extend themselves.
The presence of Salah and Van Dijk should also help in the transfer market, as Liverpool’s objectives become clearer and targets see that the Reds are here to stay at the top table under Slot.
Leadership and the vice-captaincy
With the probable departure of Alexander-Arnold would come a space in the squad for a new vice-captain.
Though it seems Salah has been doing a lot of work as a leader in the team anyway, Andy Robertson, Alisson and he are the obvious candidates to get the nod behind the skipper.
While the winger’s role wouldn’t particularly change within the dressing room, it would give him elevated status on paper.
Keeping him and Van Dijk would crucially also provide continuity on and off the pitch.
With the potential for several incomings and outgoings this summer, keeping the spine that has been so successful could be key in the early stages of next season.
As Robertson and perhaps even Alisson begin to spend more time on the bench also, it will be beneficial to have experienced winners on the pitch.
Above all, though, the quality of Salah and Van Dijk is most important. The club are canny and if there were any sign of decline, Liverpool would not be offering them such lucrative deals.
Keeping the Reds’ two best performers isn’t a bad way to start a summer that could influence the team’s fortunes for several years to come, not just 2025/26.
