Liverpool’s best player this year, without doubt, has been centre-back Virgil Van Dijk. The towering Dutchman has steadied Jurgen Klopp’s defence and made the Reds the best defensive team in the Premier League by some distance, conceding just 15 goals in 29 games.
He will take to the field this afternoon as Jurgen Klopp’s men look to close the gap to table-toppers Man City to one point, after Pep Guardiola’s team beat Watford yesterday thanks to a Raheem Sterling hat-trick. The Dutchman may have a spring in his step as according to The Mirror, he could become the joint-highest paid player at the club with a stonking new contract.
The board at Anfield are willing to offer their star defender £200k-a-week which would put him on par with Mo Salah, after his insane goal scoring season last year was rewarded with a bumper five-year contract. Van Dijk, who currently earns around £125k-a-week, could receive an upfront loyalty bonus worth £5 million, while he is set to receive a further £4 million when he reaches 150 games for the Reds.
He is certainly doing pretty well for himself have also scooped a £6 million signing on fee when he joined from Southampton just over a year ago. However, Liverpool know if they want to keep hold of one of the top defenders in the world, they will have to splash out the big bucks to fend off interest from Real Madrid and Barcelona.
Barca are after a long term partner for Samuel Umtiti whilst Real are ready to spend big in the summer after the embarrassment of this season, which will finish trophyless after they were dumped out of the Champions League by Ajax.
