Liverpool Ready to Finalise New Deals for Star Duo Alisson & Virgil van Dijk
By Max Cooper
Exclusive – Well, the last few weeks have been far from plain sailing for Liverpool fans. After surrendering their unbeaten run in the Premier League, the Reds were then knocked out of the Champions League rather prematurely. To top it off, the outbreak of the coronavirus has threatened to put an end to their seemingly unrivalled title bid.
But there is some good news on the horizon for the Anfield faithful. The club has been working hard to tie down two of their most valuable assets to brand new contracts, and there finally appears to be a light at the end of the tunnel.
90min can exclusively reveal that Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk and goalkeeper Alisson Becker are on the verge of putting pen to paper on new deals, which would see the pair be rewarded handsomely for their efforts since arriving on Merseyside.
Van Dijk is a dominant and authoritative influence in the Reds' backline, and he has proven to be possibly the best defender in world football over the past two years. And having led Liverpool to two Champions League finals and to the brink of a Premier League title, the Merseyside club have decided to secure his services beyond his current deal.
The 28-year-old is still playing on the same deal he agreed when he arrived from Southampton in 2018, which expires in 2023. But Liverpool are desperate to warn off any possible suitors for the defender and have been holding talks with the Dutchman since last summer - and a deal now appears to be very close.
Fortunately, Van Dijk has never hinted at a desire to leave Anfield, so there has been no great rush to lock him into a new contract.
And the same goes for the man who many consider to be the missing piece in the Liverpool jigsaw. Alisson has only ever enjoyed success since arriving in England from Roma in the summer of 2018, and he was a key figure in the team which lifted the Champions League last season.
The 27-year-old missed the huge clash with Atlético Madrid through injury - and his absence has been frightfully noticeable - so securing his services for the long-term future will be a priority for the Liverpool hierarchy.
As with Van Dijk, the club and player have been in talks over a new contract since last year, but the shot-stopper has shown no signs of being unsettled at Anfield, so there's been no great urgency to get the deal over the line quickly.
And it appears that an agreement is very close to being reached, meaning Reds supporters won't have to imagine a life with second-choice goalkeeper Adrian permanently between the sticks.