Hendrick on Salah and Van Dijk: Liverpool Must Build Around Them | OneFootball

Salah and Van Dijk Extensions Offer Liverpool Hope, Stability and Time

As Liverpool close in on another Premier League crown under Arne Slot, the off-pitch news is just as significant as the results. Speaking on The Daily Red Podcast, Dave Hendrick delivered a message that may define the club’s next two seasons: “Paul Joyce reporting that both Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah are very close to signing new contracts with Liverpool.” That, in Hendrick’s words, is “something we should massively celebrate.”

Contracts That Buy More Than Time

These aren’t just extensions. They are statements of intent. Hendrick didn’t mince his words when assessing their value: “They’re the two best players in the Premier League, have been all season,” he said. Their continued presence not only boosts Liverpool’s title credentials for 2024/25, but also builds a solid foundation for a significant summer overhaul.

And it’s a rebuild that Hendrick believes is essential despite the Reds’ current position: “We still need four to five new starters… We know we need a left-back, we know we need a six, we know we need a nine,” he said. Salah and Van Dijk staying makes that rebuild easier — not just tactically but psychologically.

Van Dijk and Salah: Unmatched Value and Influence

To illustrate just how far ahead Van Dijk is in his role, Hendrick painted a vivid image: “The gap from Virgil to the next best centre-back is astronomical… if Virgil turned around with binoculars he still wouldn’t see the next guy coming after him.” The sentiment around Salah was no less emphatic: “The gulf from Mo to the next best right winger in the league, which is Bukayo Saka, is sizable… Mo is several levels ahead right now.”

Hendrick also speculated that these may not be their final contracts: “It just wouldn’t surprise me if they both stuck around for a year after if they’re still feeling like there’s titles to be won.” With players like Cristiano Ronaldo and Thiago Silva cited as examples of late-career consistency, Hendrick suggested: “Even if there’s a 10%, 15%, even a 20% drop-off, they’re still going to be among the very best in the league.”

What Comes Next? A Search for Successors

Still, Hendrick acknowledges the looming challenge: succession planning. “It gives you a long runway to start looking for who will succeed Virgil and who will succeed Mo,” he explained. He name-checked Dean Huijsen and Luka Vušković as examples of the kind of young talent Liverpool should monitor — players who might one day be ready to step into these massive shoes.

But he also warned against desperation or premature panic: “The player that we want to replace Virgil might not be somebody who’s even made his first-team debut right now.” In a market that often rewards risk-takers, he reminded listeners of Moisés Caicedo’s path from a £1.5 million signing to a £100 million player.

Strategic Patience in a Changing Landscape

Hendrick’s overarching theme is one of strategic patience. These extensions aren’t just about maintaining current standards — they’re about buying time to get the next steps right. “If you have that knowledge that the guy you have is going to be the successor, then you can begin the transition.”