Van Dijk in contract U-turn that will delight Liverpool

Robin Bairner

• Updated: 31 Jan 2024 07:30 GMT
• 2 min read

Virgil van Dijk has said that his future at Liverpool is not in doubt, despite manager Jurgen Klopp announcing his departure from the club.

The Reds are set to play their first home Premier League match on Wednesday since the German announced he was stepping down as Liverpool manager, with Chelsea the visitors to Merseyside.

Klopp’s declaration, which FootballTransfers exclusively reported was coming back in August, has shaken the club and has led to speculation that a string of high-profile players, including Van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Mohamed Salah, whose contracts all expire in 2025, could follow the manager out the door this summer.

Van Dijk seemed to fuel such speculation. When asked following Sunday’s FA Cup win over Norwich if Klopp’s departure could change his plans, he replied: “That's a big question. I don't know.

“We will see at the end of the season, hopefully we will have the success we all dream of and by then probably there will be more clarification about what the club wants for the future and then we will see.”

Van Dijk shoots down exit talk

Now Van Dijk has clarified his statement in an interview with Men In Blazers.

“It’s much taken out of context,” the centre-back said. “The be 100% clear, I’m fully committed to the club. I love the club, I love the fans, it’s been fully taken out of context.

“It’s not about me, it’s not about I, it’s about us and nothing has changed.

“Five days ago, we weren’t even speaking about my contract so it’s silly but my full focus is on making sure this year can be a very special season and obviously it’s been a big announcement the last couple of days. It’s been a shock to each one of us connected to the club. I feel exactly what the fans are feeling at this moment.

“We mean business here. We want to crack on, we want to achieve things. We want to achieve the things we dreamed of at the start of the season.

“And don’t get it twisted, I’m fully committed to the club.”