As the captain of Liverpool approaches his last season with the Reds, Virgil van Dijk is still waiting for a contract offer.

In front of a boisterous crowd, Liverpool defeated Sevilla 4-1 at Anfield on Sunday thanks to a strong performance. 

Luis Diaz scored a brace, while other goals came from Diogo Jota and teenage sensation Trey Nyoni. This marked the start of the Arne Slot era. 

 It was Van Dijk’s first minute under Slot since his return from a three-week vacation following the European Championship. The defender also claims that there has been no progress in getting a new contract signed by the team. 

 When questioned about the problem, Van Dijk sighed and laughed a little because this is a topic he is asked nearly every week throughout the club season. “At this time, there is no change,” he stated. 

 For Liverpool and their new sports director Richard Hughes, who joined the Merseyside club in June after officially taking over from Bournemouth, the situation is concerning as Hughes has not yet added a player to the first team.

Virgil Van Dijk has revealed there is still no contract offer on the table from Liverpool

The present contract of the Dutch defender expires next year, raising questions over his future at Anfield.

Both the vice captain Trent Alexander-Arnold, a local, and star forward Mohamed Salah have just 11 months left on their contracts. 

This implies that three of Liverpool’s most valuable assets won’t be with the team at this time next year if nothing is done.

When questioned in the spring about his initial thoughts of Slot, Van Dijk replied, “So far, so good,” indicating that he wanted to see how things were going under the new coaching staff before committing his future to the team.

“Obviously, we put in a lot of work on the training field—both tactical and physical work to stay in shape.” The final major test before the real deal begins was today, and I think we’re prepared for it. 

I hope we can demonstrate that as well, since travelling to Suffolk on Saturday is going to be difficult.

We talk to each other and hold frequent tactical sessions to discuss areas for improvement. The finer points are crucial to raising our game, and I believe that’s what we’re all after. 

Each of us must demonstrate that desire, and thus far, so good.

Van Dijk responded, when pressed about what has changed under Slot: “We focus a lot on the build-up, a lot more responsibility for our center-backs with and without the ball.” Of course, though, our midfield players are equally vital.

Additionally, I believe that we attempt to establish patterns based on the actions of our adversaries. 

We play in a style that, in my opinion, makes the moments we have during the game appear fantastic. It goes without saying that they still require improvement and that we remain adaptable.

According to Van Dijk, he is prepared for the forthcoming season under new manager Arne Slot.

We made an effort to play short, but when they switch to man-versus-man, you have to consider overplaying the first and second lines before sprinting to grab the second ball. Therefore, I believe we need to strike the correct balance in that regard, but the patterns are there.

Van Dijk expressed how much it felt to lose to England in the Euros semifinal, when Ollie Watkins gave the Three Lions a late victory in Germany. During my first week of a three-week vacation, I experienced a range of emotions.

After a heartbreaking semi-final loss to England, you naturally reflect on your own year and, more importantly, how you and the rest of the Liverpool squad performed as a unit.

We were short in experience and quality towards the conclusion of the season, along with a few injuries and several other things that didn’t work out. Hopefully, we can learn from those setbacks and apply that knowledge to this season, demonstrating consistency in the latter stages of the campaign.

Van Dijk claimed that losing to England in the Euros semi-final last month really wounded him. 

“It’s not just about playing the games; it’s also about how you handle things outside of them. The mental aspect is crucial and challenging.” Everyone will think back on the previous year; I know I did. I am eager for this season in many respects. We’ll see what transpires.

Considering how long the season will last, I believe we should make some signings, but I also believe they are working behind the scenes. I have complete faith and confidence in the club to act morally and assemble the strongest team possible to participate in each competition.