Van Dijk Liverpool contract theory emerges as Carragher claims captain couldn’t join ‘better’ club

Jamie Carragher has revealed why he is confident that Virgil van Dijk will sign a new contract at Liverpool, predicting he will follow in the footsteps of an all-time great – while also sharing his contrasting verdicts on what the future holds for Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Van Dijk, Salah and Alexander-Arnold are all in the last year of their contracts at Liverpool, but remain three of their most important players. Therefore, it has become a major topic for Richard Hughes to try and resolve.

Salah has been chased by the Saudi Pro League in recent years, while Alexander-Arnold is a target for Real Madrid and Van Dijk would not be short of suitors either if he was to become available.

But Carragher has suggested that top clubs might not actually be queuing up for either of them. Indeed, he is convinced the chances of Van Dijk and Salah staying are high – due to the fact they would find it ‘difficult’ to appeal to a ‘better’ club than Liverpool.

“I’m pretty confident that the two older lads will sign because I think they’re probably at a stage in their career now where it’s difficult to move to a club better than Liverpool,” Carragher said on the BBC’s Football Daily.

“For me, the two only clubs when I was in a dressing room where players would want to move on to would be the Spanish giants but I don’t really see that now for Virgil and Mo. And I think Mo Salah will be desperate to break as many records as he possibly can at Liverpool.

“When you’re looking for that last contract, it’s not really about money, it’s about maybe the length of contract for those lads as they get a little bit older.”

Aged 33 and 32 respectively, Van Dijk and Salah are beyond the age range generally considered to be a player’s prime, but their form on the pitch indicates they are still in theirs.

And Carragher compared Van Dijk to an all-time defending great when predicting how long he could last at the highest level – potentially in Liverpool colours.

“I think Virgil van Dijk’s one of the greatest centre-backs I’ve ever seen,” Carragher enthused. “I think of Franco Baresi, who was still pulling strings in that back four for AC Milan at 36. I think Virgil van Dijk can play to that level at that age, I think he’s that good. I think Mo Salah’s the same.”

Concerns rise for Alexander-Arnold

But while Carragher is confident of Van Dijk and Salah extending their stays and enhancing their Liverpool legacies, Alexander-Arnold at 26 years of age is someone who might have a next step ahead of him away from Anfield – at Real Madrid.

Madrid are searching for a successor to Dani Carvajal, who is currently sidelined with a serious injury, and Alexander-Arnold could fill the void in a high-profile move that would enable him to link up with England teammate Jude Bellingham.

Carragher added: “Trent is in a different situation and that’s probably the one most people are now worried about with the situation with Real Madrid being interested but also the fact that Carvajal has just done his ACL, so they’re desperate for a right-back as well, for probably the next 18 months.”

Sources have recently told TEAMtalk that Madrid are confident they will outlast any other suitors for Alexander-Arnold and that the only club they think could come to an agreement with him instead of them is Liverpool themselves.

As an academy product, Alexander-Arnold has spent his entire career so far with his boyhood club Liverpool, so faces a tough decision over whether to continue his commitment to the club or test himself elsewhere on the big Bernabeu stage.

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Meanwhile, Liverpool have been linked with a couple of Premier League wingers just in case Salah does depart at the end of his contract.

The two main names appearing on their shortlist at the moment, it has been claimed, are Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo and Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo.

That comes after one of the sporting directors who worked for Liverpool during Salah’s spell with the club admitted that it is “entirely possible” that the former Roma forward moves to the Saudi Pro League – which, like Carragher hints, might not be a better level than what is currently on offer at Liverpool, but may be a tempting move for one of the best players to ever emerge from the Middle East.

Salah is not the only Liverpool forward being linked with an exit in 2025, either.

In other news, TEAMtalk has learned that Liverpool’s hopes are growing of sealing what could end up being a record deal to sign a Real Madrid midfielder.

Van Dijk’s importance to Liverpool’s success