Virgil van Dijk is understood to be earning the third-highest wage in the Premier League after signing his new two-year contract with Liverpool this week.
Liverpool have finally announced their captain has signed a new deal, with Van Dijk set to stay at Anfield until at least 2027.
It comes as a major boost in these final weeks of the season, along with Mohamed Salah‘s own extension, with all signs pointing to a bright future.
Neither Salah or Van Dijk fit within Liverpool’s established recruitment model, with the pair set to be 35 and 36 respectively when their deals expire.
But tying them down to fresh terms is a testament to the flexibility of the new setup, acknowledging that they are and will remain two of the most important players in Arne Slot‘s squad.
That is reflected in their wages, with Van Dijk reliably reported to be earning around £385,000 per week.
Behind only Salah and Haaland!
The Times‘ Paul Joyce reports that the deal is “worth somewhere in the region of £40 million” while The Athletic‘s James Pearce adds that “the wages are largely guaranteed.”
According to Pearce, the only bonuses negotiated into Van Dijk’s potential salary are team-based rather than reliant on any individual targets.
Interestingly it is also suggested, with the Dutchman widely reported not to have taken a pay cut, that this salary of up to £400,000 a week was already in place.
Salah is understood to be earning around £25 million per season, or £480,000 per week, which puts the Egyptian behind only Erling Haaland (£500,000 a week) among the Premier League‘s highest-paid players.
Van Dijk’s salary is the third-highest in the English top flight according to reports, in line with the £20 million-a-year package for Kevin De Bruyne at Man City.
While De Bruyne will be departing the Etihad this summer as his influence on Pep Guardiola’s side wanes, Liverpool’s renewed commitment to their No. 4 shows he remains as vital as the day he signed – if not more.
“It always felt right,” Van Dijk told the club’s official website on Thursday.
“I said it from the first day on that it felt right and I think it showed in the years we have spent together up until now. And obviously more years to come.
“It is the place for me to be, to spend my best years, be successful with the club as we have been over the years and hopefully the future as well.
“And I love the city, I love the club, I love the fans. I love my teammates. I love everything that embodies Liverpool, and on to many more.”
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