Virgil van Dijk would have had his pick of clubs if he had left Liverpool on a free transfer, including interest from the Premier League and Saudi Arabia.
Van Dijk remains the highest-paid defender in Europe and the third-highest paid player in the Premier League after committing to a new two-year deal at Anfield.
It comes after months of speculation and concern among supporters that Liverpool could lose one of their best-ever players on a free transfer.
That is still likely to be case when it comes to Trent Alexander-Arnold, who is poised to join Real Madrid, but the Reds now know they can rely on Van Dijk and Mohamed Salah for the next two seasons.
Van Dijk’s commitment did not come without offers from elsewhere, with the Mail‘s Lewis Steele reporting that Chelsea were among the clubs interested in signing the Dutchman.
However, Steele explains that after “exploring” a move, “the feeling they got back is that he was going to sign a new deal.”
Similarly, advances from Paris Saint-Germain are described as being “a bit of a non-starter,” while the Telegraph‘s Chris Bascombe writes that “the Saudi Pro League would have gleefully tempted him as a poster boy for their extravagant recruitment spree.”
Any offer from Saudi Arabia would have ensured a significant upgrade on an already sizeable salary at Liverpool, with Van Dijk reported to be earning around £385,000 per week on his new deal.
But like Salah before him, the captain’s career ambitions outweighed any pursuit of wealth, with there a conviction that they can continue to challenge for the top honours at Liverpool.
Any move to another Premier League club was moot for Van Dijk, who has made it clear his affinity for Merseyside and “everything that embodies Liverpool.”
“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,” he told LFCTV.
“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.”
Van Dijk added: “I really realise how privileged and blessed I am to play for Liverpool FC.”
