November 28th 2024.
Following Liverpool's 2-0 victory over Real Madrid in the Champions League, captain Virgil van Dijk was asked about his future. His response was quite different from teammate Mohamed Salah's recent revelation that he was "probably more out than in." The talk of Salah's potential departure dominated the pre-match discussion, but the Egyptian missed a penalty on the night, while Liverpool secured a deserved win with goals from Alexis Mac Allister and Cody Gakpo in the second half.
The result continued Liverpool's impressive start to the season under Arne Slot, who took over from Jurgen Klopp in the summer. However, there are still lingering questions about the future of key players such as Salah, Van Dijk, and Trent Alexander-Arnold, all of whom have contracts expiring in 2025. Until their situations become clearer, rumors and gossip are likely to swirl.
Salah has hinted at a possible departure before, and he seemed to confirm that this year would be his last with Liverpool after their victory against Manchester United in September. Van Dijk, on the other hand, has remained tight-lipped about his plans. When asked about staying at Liverpool, the Dutchman gave a cool response, saying: "What a direct question from you! They don't ask me that directly. But listen, there is nothing I can say at the moment. My only focus is on our upcoming match against Man City."
The reporter then suggested that Madrid could use a top-class defender like Van Dijk, to which he replied: "Do they? I don't know." When reminded of Madrid's injury problems in defense, Van Dijk simply asked: "But [Antonio] Rudiger is there, no?"
Pressed further about a potential move to Madrid next summer, Van Dijk reiterated his focus on the present, saying: "In the summer?! Like I said before, my main focus right now is on Man City. I have nothing else to say about my future."
Despite Salah's recent remark about his future, Slot remains relaxed about the situation. In a press conference, he stated that he does not share details about contract negotiations and that "if [he looks] at [his] line-ups, Mo is more in than out." He also mentioned that he has not seen any distractions from Salah, and the team's focus is on their upcoming matches against Madrid and Manchester City.
Slot also clarified that while the club may be thinking about long-term plans, the players are more focused on the short-term, and their contracts do not affect their performance. He assured that there are no distractions for him or the players, and his only concern is preparing the team for their upcoming matches.
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