‘Will end up signing…’ – Merseyside journalist shares positive contract claim for Liverpool fans | OneFootball

With the first week of 2025 almost behind us, contract speculation continues to be a dominant topic of discussion among Liverpool fans.

Mo Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Virgil van Dijk are each into the final six months of their respective deals and are free to be approached by non-English clubs about signing a potential pre-contract agreement for next summer.

The former two have been in the headlines in recent days, with Real Madrid making an unsuccessful £20m bid for the England right-back, while the Egyptian claimed that he and the Merseyside club are nowhere near agreeing a new deal.

The Liverpool captain’s situation has generally been fair quieter, with the 33-year-old insisting after the draw against Manchester United on Sunday that he had ‘no update’ on the matter.

Journalist drops Van Dijk contract claim

Van Dijk mightn’t have shared any update on his contractual affairs, but one Merseyside journalist has done just that.

The Daily Mail’s Lewis Steele told the Talking Reds podcast: “Everything that I’ve heard points to the fact that Van Dijk will end up signing a new deal. It’s just about getting the paperwork and finding an agreement on the fee, and I think with him and Salah, the big thing is the length of the contract.”

(Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)

Van Dijk seems the closest to signing a new contract

From the outside looking in, Van Dijk’s contract situation seems to have less drama surrounding it than Salah’s or Trent’s. It’s certainly the one which is being played out in private the most.

There were reports from Spain over the past couple of days that the Liverpool captain was eyeing a move to Real Madrid but, following rejection from Los Blancos, is now close to agreeing new terms at Anfield. However, we’d take that update with a pinch of salt unless it’s corroborated by a trusted source closer to home.

The player has every right to at least explore his options for as long as his contractual affairs remain unresolved – the onus is on the club to offer him a deal which’d entice the 33-year-old to remain on Merseyside.

From what we can see externally, Van Dijk isn’t exactly pushing the door down for an exit and seems fully committed to the Reds, so hopefully Steele’s latest update rings true and we’re just a few crucial details away from the captain signing on the dotted line at LFC.