With the departure of Jordan Henderson, Jurgen Klopp entrusted the captaincy to Dutch defender Virgil van Dijk, a centre-back who has returned to his best performances since his serious injury in the 2020/21 season and has helped the team both in terms of play and mentality.
His contract is up for a year, until June 2025, and negotiations with the club await this summer. All eyes are on whether he will extend it, and the possibility of him leaving on a free transfer next summer cannot be ruled out.
In Liverpool, where Klopp’s departure has led to a new manager in Arne Slot, there is no intention of releasing the defender-leader. In addition, both are from the Netherlands, so there is no language barrier and detailed communication is possible.
The 32-year-old centre-back, who is expected to remain a key part of the final line next season in a Liverpool that is beginning to move into a new chapter, opened up and expressed his enthusiasm for the new season with his new manager and teammates in order to achieve great success.
“I still have a year left on my contract. I am club captain and I have made it clear I am there for the new coach and enthusiastic over the next season,”
“Obviously, there will be a lot of changes but I am confident we will make a big success of it. I congratulated him of course and I’m really pleased for him and his family. We spoke about the team and the future, but now my focus is fully on the national team.”
The Mirror
A string of injuries this season meant that up until the middle of the season, the team used young players and won the Carabao Cup.However, towards the end of the season, the condition of the returning players did not return, and fatigue was noticeable in the players who had been in the starting line-up until then, leading to defeat in the Premier League title race and the Europa League.
Van Dijk’s presence will be vital to climb to the top of the English table next season and give momentum to a new era.