'Write what you want!' - Jurgen Klopp hits back at media over Van Dijk future

Jurgen Klopp has hit back at suggestions that his decision to leave Liverpool at the end of the season could have an impact on the immediate futures of the club’s top stars. 

Following the weekend defeat of Norwich City in the FA Cup, captain Virgil van Dijk admitted that his own future was uncertain with Klopp out of the picture and with only 18 months left on his contract. 

It has led to suggestions that Klopp's side could be broken up with Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold also out of contract in summer 2025.

On Tuesday, Klopp faced the media ahead of Liverpool’s Premier League match against Chelsea and dismissed concerns that the players’ futures were in doubt, and hit back at the media for making it an issue. 

"No I don’t think so," he said. "It's completely normal. It was always clear when I said what I had to say, it was always clear that the outside world would not give you a second to process it, to think about it. 

"It's just the next thing is: 'What are you doing?'

"So a week ago or whenever, nobody knew about my decision, he had 18 months on his contract and nobody asked. So give us a break. 

"I knew that it would happen because [the media] can't wait with these kind of questions."

Van Dijk was quizzed in the wake of the Norwich game after Klopp confirmed his decision to step down as Reds manager at the end of the current campaign. 

The 56-year-old remains unimpressed that it has become a talking point and believes concerns over what the players will do next is not of major importance to supporters. 

"Virgil didn't go out and say: 'By the way, what I want to say’," Klopp said. “It's always about the questions. We always need to answer these kind of things.

"Write what you want, this club is stable 100 percent and everything will be fine, I'm 100 percent sure and the rest we have to get through this, we have to get through your questions, we have to give answers and that's how it is.

"I would recommend to stay calm in this department, massively. 

"Very often the fans’ concerns are not as big as the media might think because you underestimate the IQ of our supporters I think.

"They know these kind of things come up, it's just completely normal. So there is nothing to worry about in this moment in time.”

Liverpool are competing on four fronts with progress assured in the FA Cup, a showdown with Chelsea in the Carabao Cup final to look forward to, the Europa League last 16 looming and the club are top of the Premier League to boot. 

Klopp is keen to stress that outside voices should not be allowed to disrupt what could be a glorious last few months on Merseyside. 

"We are in this season and all these talks could be part of the possible destruction about this season," he said.