Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk is no ordinary 33 year old footballer, of course, but there is always an element of risk attached when offering a new contract to a man entering the autumn of his career.
Come July, the former Celtic and Southampton stopper will be blowing out no fewer than 34 candles.
So, while Liverpool are understandably delighted to confirm Virgil van Dijk is staying at Anfield until the summer of 2027, only time will tell whether it was the right decision to hand over a two-year deal worth £400,000-a-week to a defender with so many miles on the clock already.
Virgil van Dijk joins Mo Salah in putting pen to paper.
Two deals which, according to veteran Premier League boss Sam Allardyce, not only sets Arne Slot up for future success but also ensures Liverpool have saved around £200 million in the transfer market with replacements not yet required.
Photo by Nikki Dyer – LFC/Liverpool FC via Getty ImagesArne Slot confident in Virgil van Dijk’s Liverpool longevity
With a staggering 32 goals and 23 assists this season alone, Salah is showing few signs of slowing down.
Slot, meanwhile, cannot envisage Van Dijk bowing to the whims of Father Time either.
The legendary Thiago Silva looked as pristine as ever at the age of 39 in a Chelsea shirt, after all. Van Dijk, still six years the Brazilian’s junior, could therefore have half a decade left at the elite level providing he avoids the sort of niggling injuries which tend to speed up the decline of elder statesmen.
“How did Thiago Silva play [for so long]? He has to stay fit. If a player is out two or three months – this is the highest level in football, the Premier League – it’s hard for players to come back straight away at that level,” Slot says, speaking at his press conference ahead of Sunday’s trip to Leicester City.
“So [Van Dijk] has to stay fit. If he does, I see no reason why he would regress. The club feel the same.”
It goes without saying really that, if the Liverpool bosses felt Van Dijk was approaching ‘past his best’ territory, they would not have agreed to a two-year deal.
One which, according to The Times, works out at around £20 million-a-year in wages.
The runaway Premier League leaders are, however, expected to start putting plans in place for an eventual passing of the baton.
Arne Slot reacts to Van Dijk’s ‘big summer’ claim as Dean Huijsen interest emerges
Liverpool are in talks with Bournemouth’s Dean Huijsen. At just 19, the newly-capped Amsterdam-born Spain international would be a player capable of providing cover for Van Dijk while also learning from the 2019 Champions League winner on the training pitch with an eye on stepping into his shoes later down the line.
Van Dijk is predicting a ‘big summer’ at Liverpool, with former Anfield stalwart Jamie Carragher arguing that Milos Kerkez and Hugo Ekitike should headline six new signings.
“I think, at Liverpool, it is always a big summer,” Slot explains. “Maybe the players don’t know what is being said in the media, but we have held on to two of those [players, Van Dijk and Salah] so it is already a big summer. Let’s see what the [rest of the] summer brings.
“It would be strange for me to say I am not happy with the team. If we keep [our players], then I would say it is a big summer.
“We didn’t change anything last summer and we didn’t go downwards. In general, I agree [about the risks of standing still]. But the longer a team plays together, the more success it has.
“It is also, in general, good to have some new energy around the place with new players. I agree on that, but it is not a necessity if you look at the season we have had.”