Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk is inside the final year of his contract at Anfield. As a result, the transfer links with the Saudi Pro League are inevitable

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk is currently being linked with a move to Saudi Arabia. With under a year left on his existing contract at Anfield, it is inevitable that speculation around the Dutchman will emerge.

It was claimed by TEAMtalk over the weekend that Liverpool would demand a fee of $60million (£46m/€55m) for its captain amid interest from the Saudi Pro League, with the Reds captain’s entourage claimed to be set to meet officials from the region. It was suggested that the price would have to drop for a Saudi team to get a deal over the line.

Van Dijk spoke at the end of the Jurgen Klopp era and made his own stance perfectly clear, however. “I am very happy here, I love the club and you can see that as well,” he explained. “It’s a big part of my life already.

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“The focus is now on the last two games and then the club will focus on who the new manager is. There will be a big transition and I am part of that. There will be a lot of changes happening and, I wouldn’t say scary is the right word, but it is quite interesting and exciting what will happen now.”

Arne Slot has now been appointed as the new head coach at Anfield, of course, and after the Netherlands exited Euro 2024, Van Dijk hinted that he might consider his future at international level moving forward. But there is no suggestion that he wants to leave Liverpool or that anything has changed.

In his introductory press conference, new Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes made clear his own views on the matter when asked about the futures of Van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Mohamed Salah. All three players have contracts that run until 2025 as things stand, with no update yet on potential renewals.

“Contractual situations, I don’t think it would be fair for me to talk about,” Hughes said. “These are private matters between club and players. The only concern I have, that Arne (Slot) has, about those situations and everyone else in the squad is that there is total commitment from the players to the cause for next season — and we are absolutely convinced that is the case.”