Phil Thompson admits he's worried that 'fantastic' Liverpool star could leave - 'I'm hoping he'll stay'
Virgil van Dijk is into the final year of his Liverpool contract and made a worrying admission about his future.
Phil Thompson has expressed his concern that Virgil van Dijk could leave Liverpool at the end of his contract.
The defender has been the bedrock of the Reds since being signed for £75 million from Southampton in January 2018. Van Dijk has been key to helping Liverpool win seven major trophies including the Premier League and Champions League. Last summer, he was appointed captain after the exit of Jordan Henderson and scored the winning goal in the 1-0 win over Chelsea in the Carabao Cup final.
But 33-year-old is now into the final year of his Anfield contract. After Holland’s elimination from Euro 2024 quarter-finals at the hands of England, van Dijk admitted he was unsure what the future held for him in terms of club and country.
And Thompson, speaking on talkSPORT, is hopeful that new Liverpool head coach Arne Slot can persuade van Dijk to commit his future. The former Liverpool skipper and assistant manager when asked if he was worried about van Dij’s contractual situation replied: “Absolutely. He had a fantastic season last year. The season before, he had a big struggle but he had been coming back from his injury.
“Last season, he embraced the captaincy, he enjoyed the responsibility and it made him a better player. I thought he done all right with the national team at the Euros. Virgil has done very well. I'm hoping he'll stay there but it's the not knowing. He's a compatriot of Arne Slot and hopefully that will help to make up his mind.”
Slot is currently preparing for his maiden season in the Liverpool hot seat. He had a gargantuan void to fill after the exit of Jurgen Klopp, who restored the Reds’ position among the European elite during his nine years as manager.
Much has been debated about what new head coach Slot’s aims should be in 2024-25. Thompson reckons a top-four Premier League finish and qualification for the Champions League would be a fine achievement.
“Jurgen had a difficult first year, which you do,” he added. “I go back 50 years since Bob Paisley took over from Bill Shankly and won nothing. I think a good achievement would be Champions League football to make that top four. But he has inherited a good squad and maybe when Jurgen took over, didn’t inherit a good squad.”