Liverpool have confirmed that captain Virgil van Dijk has signed a contract extension at Anfield, just six days after Mohamed Salah penned fresh terms of his own.
The Netherlands international was also due to become a free agent at the end of the current campaign but recently revealed that there had been "progress" in attempts to strike an agreement over a new contract with Liverpool.
Van Dijk's priority was always to continue at Anfield, where he has developed into one of the best centre-backs in Premier League history since making the move from Southampton in January 2018.
Now ending any speculation surrounding his future, Van Dijk has officially signed a renewal with the Reds, and the 33-year-old insisted that it was "always Liverpool" when giving his first interview after his extension.
"I'm very happy, very proud. There are so many emotions obviously that go through my head right now speaking about it," Van Dijk told the official Liverpool website.
Van Dijk: "It was always Liverpool"
The show goes on. pic.twitter.com/kpuiXOt7GZ
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) April 17, 2025
"It's a proud feeling, it's a feeling of joy. It's just incredible. The journey I've had so far in my career, to be able to extend it with another two years at this club is amazing and I'm so happy.
"It was always Liverpool. That was the case. It was always in my head, it was always the plan and it was always Liverpool. There wasn't any doubt in my head that this is the place to be for me and my family.
"I'm one of Liverpool. Someone called me the other day an adopted Scouser – I'm really proud to hear these things, it gives me a great feeling."
Van Dijk is on the cusp of leading Liverpool to their second Premier League title, as the Reds sit 13 points clear of Arsenal at the top of the table and could potentially win the crown against Leicester City this weekend.
The 33-year-old has enjoyed another exceptional campaign on an individual level with four goals and one assist in 44 appearances in all competitions, taking his total for the Reds to 27 strikes and 13 assists from 314 matches, during which time he has won eight major honours.
How long is Van Dijk's new deal? How much will he earn?
© Imago
As is the case with Salah, Van Dijk has reportedly agreed to stay at Liverpool for the next two years until the end of the 2026-27 season, just before his 36th birthday.
The Athletic reports that Van Dijk has also not had to accept a reduction in wages, meaning that he will continue to pocket a staggering £400,000 per week while on the books at Anfield.
Furthermore, the former Celtic defender's renewal supposedly includes no break or release clauses, and he was fully committed to Liverpool despite "approaches" from clubs elsewhere.
While Van Dijk and Salah will be part of the Liverpool project for another couple of years, the Reds are expected to lose Trent Alexander-Arnold when his own terms run out this summer.
The Premier League leaders have fought tooth and nail to keep the right-back too, but the pull of Real Madrid has seemingly been too strong for him to resist, and a free transfer to the Bernabeu is expected to materialise at the end of the season.
However, with Salah and Van Dijk both staying on to lead the next generation of Liverpool stars, in the words of Meat Loaf, two out of three ain't bad.
Ben Knapton
