Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk is set to become the highest paid player in the club’s history by signing a new £220,000-a-week contract.
The Dutchman became the most expensive defender in the world in 2018 when he signed for £75m and he allayed early criticism of the fee with a host of sensational performances as Liverpool got to the Champions League final.
Though defeat to Real Madrid hurt, The Reds have gone from strength to strength since by winning the competition a year later and they’re on course to end the 30-year wait for the league title when the Premier League resumes this month.
Nobody has been more instrumental in that time than Van Dijk and his performances have attracted attention from Europe’s big sides, most notably in PSG and Juventus.
However, the Sun claim that Van Dijk is more than happy at Anfield and he’ll sign a new five-year contract once the title is wrapped up.
The deal, which will take the player past his 32nd birthday, is worth £220,000-per-week and will make him the best paid player in the history of Liverpool.
- Why Lampard blocked Marina Granovskaia’s plan to sign Jadon Sancho for Chelsea
- Man Utd to increase offer for Ansu Fati after Barca turn down £89m bid
Liverpool turned down the opportunity to sign Timo Werner last week with Klopp pointing to the financial implications of the coronavirus pandemic as reasoning for refusing to sanction the move.
While that remains true, the Reds are also expecting to renegotitate a couple of new deals that better reflect the club’s status in the past two years.
That includes Gini Wijnaldum, who is out of contract in 12 months’ time and Senagal forward Sadio Mane, who has stalled on a new contract.
