Overview
- Reporting on Sunday, September 13, 2026, Football Insider and other outlets said Liverpool will not open formal contract talks with Virgil van Dijk this autumn and expect a final call around April 2027.
- Andoni Iraola continues to pick van Dijk as club captain and first-choice centre-back and values his on-field leadership and role in the dressing room.
- Liverpool strengthened their defence in the summer by bringing in Ronald Araujo on loan from Barcelona and signing Jeremy Jacquet to begin planned succession at centre-back.
- Van Dijk is 35 and his contract runs until June 2027, so Liverpool are weighing his short-term value against age-related risk and could offer a short extension or let him leave on a free transfer.
- The club will track his form and fitness over the season and the April decision could shape Liverpool’s transfer plans, the minutes for younger defenders, and the dressing-room leadership structure.