Liverpool are reportedly considering a new contract for long-serving star Virgil van Dijk, with the club keen to retain their captain beyond the end of the season when his current deal expires, while the futures of two other defenders are also up for debate.

The 35-year-old, who has been at Anfield since 2018, has continued to play a central role for the Reds this season, featuring for every minute of every Premier League game so far.

And our friends over at TEAMtalk report that his ‘standards on and off the pitch have impressed Andoni Iraola’, who is ‘happy with what the Dutchman brings to the side’.

Indeed, they claim that Liverpool are ‘open to discussing an extension’, with a ’12-month deal and options attached among the structures being considered’, despite a report revealing two top targets to potentially replace the Netherlands international.

The TT report adds that, as it stands, there is ‘no hurry to get an agreement over the line now’, but Anfield chiefs want Van Dijk to ‘be aware that keeping him at the club is very much part of their thinking’. Indeed, they ‘value his leadership and continued importance to the team’ and want him to ‘understand that they would welcome him staying beyond the current campaign’.

Van Dijk remains one of the highest-earning defenders in European football, meaning he may need to lower his salary to a certain extent if a new agreement is to be reached on Merseyside.

However, both the player and Liverpool are open-minded about how a deal could look, and there is a ‘willingness on both sides’ to explore the options to extend a stay that is already into its 10th season and 387 games for the club.

Liverpool ready to assess new Van Dijk contract

TEAMtalk sources indicate that Van Dijk’s future at Anfield will be something they will ‘start to seriously assess as they move into 2027’. However, there is no immediate pressure to reach an agreement, with both parties ‘happy with the current situation and keen to keep the dialogue open’.

Liverpool continue to place enormous value on Van Dijk’s leadership and experience, particularly as they look to develop the next generation of defenders around him.

French youngster Jeremy Jacquet’s progress has been enhanced by the opportunity to play alongside the veteran Dutchman, while Giovanni Leoni is also learning from the captain’s experience and standards, despite still being on the sidelines with the ACL injury he suffered last September.

As it stands, Liverpool are not ruling out bringing in another centre-back, but it is not viewed as an immediate priority. Indeed, their attention is more firmly focused on strengthening at left-back and resolving the future of Ronald Araujo, with the club keen to make his loan move permanent.

Talks over a permanent move from Barcelona are already underway – and it may be for a fee lower than initially negotiated.

Joe Gomez’s future is also being considered, with Liverpool open to the possibility of an extension. However, his troublesome injury record remains a factor in those discussions.

For now, however, Van Dijk’s future is not viewed as a major source of concern at Anfield.