'My understanding': Liverpool look to have made a 'step forward' with important contract - journalist

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Things could hardly be going better for Liverpool on the pitch at the start of this season.

The Reds have won 10 from 11 games, statistically putting Arne Slot’s up there as the best start for a manager or head coach in the club’s history.

Obviously, Slot deserves enormous praise for that first and foremost. The Liverpool head coach has come in and hit the ground running following the departure of Jurgen Klopp.

But it’s also true that Slot has a tremendous Liverpool squad to pick from. In Alisson Becker, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah, the Dutchman has possibly the best players in world football in their respective positions.

Unfortunately, three of those stars are currently due to leave Anfield at the end of the season.

But as worries over the contract situations of Alexander-Arnold, Van Dijk and Salah continue to grow, it seems that Liverpool may have just made a positive breakthrough.

Liverpool make Virgil van Dijk contract ‘step’

All three of Alexander-Arnold, Salah and Van Dijk have really underlined their importance to Liverpool so far this season.

Each of the trio have started every single Premier League and Champions League game, with Van Dijk yet to miss a single minute across the two competitions.

The centre-back has been immaculate in those 10 starts, once again announcing himself as the greatest defender on Earth. According to Danny Murphy, Van Dijk is Liverpool’s most important player and it’s hard to argue against that.

As a result, it seems impossible that the Reds would let him walk away for nothing at the end of the season. And according to journalist David Lynch, there has now been a ‘step forward’ to suggest that they will not do that.

READ MORE: Liverpool considering signing Chelsea player to replace Trent Alexander-Arnold

“On Van Dijk, we spoke to him in the mixed zone last night [Sunday],” Lynch told Anfield Agenda. “I had the opportunity to speak to Virgil, he was very, very generous with his time to stop and speak to us as he does so regularly.

“He was obviously asked about the contract and he said ‘yeah, the talks are ongoing now’ which I think is a said step forward. The last time he was asked directly about that was in pre-season and he kind of said ‘nothing’s happened at the moment, we haven’t even spoken about it’. So, we’ve moved forward from there, there are talks ongoing.

“I have this general optimism about the Van Dijk situation,” adds the reporter. “He loves it at Liverpool, he wants to stay. Liverpool can clearly see the benefit of him staying.

“That one I’m very confident will get resolved and it’s good news that talks are ongoing.”

What about the other two?

This is superb news. You get the feeling that Van Dijk would also not be quite as open with his information if he himself was not confident of a resolution to keep him at the club.

As his displays this season have shown, there is absolutely no sense in Liverpool allowing the 33-year-old to run his contract down. It must get sorted.

In terms of the other two, though, they are still so important to the Reds as well. Some similarly positive updates on Alexander-Arnold and Salah would be just as welcome.

And according to Lynch, Liverpool are at least in conversations with both players about extending their respective stays at Anfield.

“It’s my understanding that talks are ongoing with all three of them,” he says. “So, it’s just a case of hanging in there and seeing how it plays out.”