EXCLUSIVE: Virgil van Dijk contract question ANSWERED

We have our answer to the big Virgil van Dijk contract question. The centre-back is expected to stay with Liverpool.

Anfield Watch exclusively revealed last week that Virgil van Dijk is staying with Liverpool. The Dutchman's agent has informed all interested parties that he won't be moving to them and that he'll sign a new contract with the Reds.

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Van Dijk's contract will currently expire at the end of the season, of course. He's not the only one in that boat, either, with both Mo Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold walking into free transfers.

The captain's contract always felt like the easiest to get sorted, though, and we understand it will happen first. But there was one question we couldn't answer.

It was unclear whether Van Dijk had actually signed a contract with Liverpool or whether he'd simply told them he'd like to. A report by David Ornstein in the Athletic gives us our answer.

He writes that Van Dijk has just been offered a new deal by Liverpool but it 'fell short of expectations'. A new one should follow shortly.

So there's our answer. We now understand the situation to be that Van Dijk has completely given the go-ahead with Liverpool that he wants to stay and sign a new contract. That contract is not signed, however.

The Van Dijk situation

This all adds up. The way contracts work in this day and age is that a discussion with agents comes first, where parameters are set and and understanding is reached.

As seen with Mo Salah, the contract offer won't arrive if that understanding isn't there. There's still negotiating - but nothing concrete for anyone to sign. No formal offer, in other words, just informal offers.

We believe Van Dijk has said yes to informal offers and ended all contact with his agent from other clubs. All that remains is for the formal offer to match what the player wants.

That shouldn't be far away - we wouldn't be at the contract stage if things weren't close. Fingers crossed, then, that this is done and dusted shortly.

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