Liverpool, England – in foyer Liverpool‘S Axa Training Center last Friday, giant television screens radiated news that many fans at Merseyside were waiting for hearing for the whole season. After months of speculating to leave the club for free transfer when his contract expired in the summer, the star forward Muhammad is wrong Finally put the pen on the paper on a two -year extension and the announcement gave everyone on the club training base Kirkby visible support in the run on a Premier League A season that seems to end up with fame.
“Mo has signed a new contract, right?” relaxed Virgil van dijk As he walked past and accepted his teammate’s widespread coverage. It was a comment in the face of the language from a player who got acquainted well with the reality of being in the middle of a lengthy contractual saga, given that his own future watched a similar way.
A week ago 33 -year -old captain Liverpool still played Coy, but also agreed on a new two -year agreement, which was officially confirmed on Thursday. “It has always been Liverpool,” Van Dijk said on the official club website. “That was so. It was always in my head, it was always a plan and it was always Liverpool.”
Salah, who at the age of 32 is in the form of his life and Just broke the record for the most involvement in the targets (45) in the Premier League season 38 gamesHe was similarly epusive about his feelings for the club, which facilitated his rise to the global superstard for the last eight years. And even though there has been inevitability for a continued stay of the duo at Merseyside, it is a huge relief for those who learn to finally confirm the news.
Of course, the silence around the future of the right back Trent Alexander-Arnold remains deafening and Source said ESPN that Real Madrid They are “very confident” that this summer he will sign him on a free transfer. But with Salah and Van Dijk services now secured at least until the summer of 2027, and only six points needed only the second Premier League club, Liverpool believes that they are prepared for more success in the coming years.
2:03
Will the signatures follow the recovery of Salah & van Dijk in Liverpool?
Beth Lindop explains why we can expect a large Liverpool transmission activities as soon as Virgil van Dijk submits a new contract next to Muhammad Salah.
As the contrasting saga has developed
There were few warmer topics on the football agenda program this season than the Futures Liverpool Mimic Trio. The day has rarely passed without the littleness of each saga to be dissected either online or on television, while the club has repeatedly undergone firing to let three of their most important players enter the last year of their relevant shops.
Usually Liverpool would try to secure players for a new contract when they remain for about two years on their existing agreement. But when they were in this position in this position in this position Salah, van Dijk and Alexander-Arnold, Liverpool was in the middle of a seismic shock with the departure of the praised sports director Michael Edwards And his successor Julian Ward – both of them now working in a different capacity for Fenway Sports Group (FSG) – left the vacuum on the scenes.
Report January 2024 that manager Jurgen Klopp will leave that summer He also launched Liverpool’s long -term planning, while incoming sports director Richard Hughes was initial focusing on finding a replacement for the most successful manager in the recent club history.
But with the fact that Arne Slot revived a great start to Merseyside, concerns began to concern the apparent lack of progress in negotiations with the three of the biggest stars of the club. This was only in November when after getting two goals in Liverpool 3-2 Premier League victory SouthamptonSalah was looking for journalists in the mixed zone at the Stadium St. Mary to express his own frustration.
“We’re almost in December and I haven’t got any offers yet to stay in the club, (so) I’m probably more than in,” Egypt International said.
It was just for the third time in his career Liverpool Salah spoke to a written press and realized that his words were carrying tremendous weight, it seemed as if trying to force the club’s hand. Recently, however, Salah tried to keep his own advice, and the source said ESPN that the positive discussion on the extension took place for several months, with Hughes overseeing negotiations with Salah agent Ramy Abbas Issa.
While externally the debate raged about whether Salah was trying to leave Anfield for wealth Saudi for the league – was the subject of Rejected offer of 150 million GBP from Al ittihad In the summer of 2023 – the source said ESPN that both Liverpool and Salah have always been convinced of mutual desire to continue what was a remarkable partnership, Salah and his young family settled and happy in the northwest of England.
The source also said ESPN that, despite speculation that Salah-Kry was a player of Liverpool’s highest payment-he had voted to reduce his salary to stay in Anfield, he was never on the agenda for one of the parties, his new agreement costing £ 17 million per 20 million GBP per year.
Unlike Salah, Van Dijk has constantly remained firmly fastened in his own negotiations, the discussion is taking place between Hughes and the representative of the defender-Neil Frows, the roof agency-PO for many months.
Sources said ESPN that since the beginning of these negotiations it was clear that, as in the case of Salah, the desire to expand the stay of Van Dijka in Anfield and by determination to continue the highest level competition that supports the decision of both players.
1:28
Hisllop: Mohamed Salah Extension The only option for Liverpool
Shaka Hislop responds to Muhammad Salah, who signed a two -year extension of the Liverpool contract.
As Salah and Van Dijk have evolved into Liverpool legends
The legendary Salah and Van Dijk status in Liverpool has already been secured, and both players have accumulated an impressive number of collective and individual honors during their eight seasons at Merseyside.
Neither player at the beginning of his career did not look particularly designed for such a size. It is really worth mentioning that Salah’s first trip in Anfield came to one of the most disappointed days in the recent Liverpool history, when Egypt International came as a replacement for compensation Chelsea In winning 2-0 for visitors who derailed Hope Reds to win the Premier League 2013-14.
Sentiment to Salah, however, soon shifted after his transfer of £ 36.9 million from Like the Roma In the summer of 2017, with an attacker who scored an incredible 44 goals in all competitions in his debut season.
“Immediately Salah had the feeling that every time he got the ball, he had a score,” said ESPN Ian Doyle, chief writer Liverpool in Liverpool Echo. “No matter how many times you score a goal like ahead – whether you’re Alan Shearer, Ian Rush or Thierry Henry – he doesn’t always feel that way.
“But everyone often has those times when you think everything you hit gets inside, and more importantly, the opposition also thinks. It’s a kind of thing that really happens only once in a career career, but Salah is that it’s not quite close, very close to eight seasons.”
Van Dijk showed similar levels of consistency over his time in Anfield, as well as Salah, the rise of the defender was far from straightforward. At the age of 17, the defender juggled with his football training at the Dutch club Willem II with work as a dishwasher in the restaurant OnCle Jean in his home town Breda and eventually joined FC Groningen with a free transfer after the creator did not convince the decision in his boys’ club to offer him a contract.
“When he joined, it was a harsh and uneven diamond,” said Dick Lukkien-Krisy during his time with Groningen U21S, Van Dijk, and now he is the head coach of the first team-sleep. “The transition from Bredy to Groningen was great for him. He first left the house to live alone and had to get used to working without his mother. At the beginning, Virgil had a hard time in Groningen.
“Things were not fast enough for him, and sometimes it caused friction. The potential was obvious, but of course it was not predictable that it would become so good.”
Really, even after successful spells with Celtic In the Scottish Premier League and the English top-fly club Southampton, Liverpool decided to spend a club record £ 75 million on the signing of Van Dijk in January 2018 divided into an opinion.
“It’s hard to look back because we have proof that it is probably one of the largest center back of all time, but I remember that at a time when there was a mixed feeling, not necessarily among Liverpool fans, but definitely among the opposition fans,” said Josh Sexton of Anfield Wrap. “I remember Manchester United Fans are laughing at the fact that they managed to sign Harry Maguire (from Leicester City) at a similar price. At that time, Liverpool’s hierarchy really considered Van Dijka a transformation signature, but I don’t think any of us could predict how transformation would be. ”
More than half a decade and the transformation of the impact of van Dijk and Salah is clear, while Liverpool 13 points are clear at the top of the Premier League and on the top that won the 20th league title of the club. Both players were an integral part of this success after all 32 Liverpool league games started this term.
Despite the historical reluctance of the FSG, to release big money with big money players in the second phase of their career, Salah’s offensive excellence-this season 27 goals and 18 assists in the highest flight-van Dijk is necessary on the playground and outside the playground.
Two of three?
With two of the three contractual sagas, which are now laid in bed, attention will undoubtedly turn to the future of Alexander-Arnold. While the source told ESPN last month that no agreement was completed for the defenders to join Real Madrid as soon as its contract expired in the summer, the source in Spain added that the discussion with the player’s camp has been running since January and optimism from European champions is growing.
The view of Madrid landing lands their highest defensive goal – Just a few months after their January progress were rejected – He feels inevitable. But while the loss of the local hero and the creative fulcrum team at a free transfer will be surprised for Liverpool, the ongoing presence of Salah and Van Dijk should at least soften Au 21 years Conor Bradley The club may already have a replacement ready.
Yet, if they decide to spend large, Liverpool’s resources believe that maintaining their talismanic duo is a huge statement about the project because the club is trying to build on the success of the debut season slot. Van Dijk said last week that it looks like a “big summer” in Liverpool and all characters point to the busy transmission window in Anfield.
However, as Van Dijk and Salah’s signing again, Liverpool may have already completed his two smartest business.
