Liverpool skipper Virgil van Dijk has insisted that there is "no deadline" to sign a new contract at Anfield as he prepares to enter the last six months of his current terms.
For months now, Reds boss Arne Slot has been forced to bat away questions over the futures of Van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Mohamed Salah, all of whom are due to become free agents in 2025.
All three will be able to negotiate a pre-contract agreement with foreign clubs in January if they do not sign a new deal in the coming days, although it has been reported that Van Dijk has chosen to stay.
The 33-year-old's apparent renewal has not been announced by the club just yet, though, and there are seemingly still a few more hoops to jump through before Van Dijk signs on the dotted line.
The Netherlands international has consistently cut a calm demeanour when asked about his situation, and he continued to give little away when questioned after Sunday's 6-3 win over Tottenham Hotspur.
Van Dijk remains coy on Liverpool contract situation
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"There is no deadline at all. We will see what the future brings. Is there an update? No," the former Southampton man told reporters, as quoted by The Independent.
While Van Dijk failed to keep Spurs at arm's length at the weekend, Salah enjoyed a historic evening at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, moving into fourth place in Liverpool's all-time scoring charts as his brace took him onto 229 goals for the club.
The Egyptian's first assist of the evening for Dominik Szoboszlai also saw him become the first Premier League player to hit 10 goals and 10 assists in one season before Christmas, as well as the first player to reach double figures in both metrics in six different Premier League seasons.
Van Dijk also sang Salah's praises after the contest but refused to be drawn into his contract situation, adding: "The numbers speak for themselves. He's a very special athlete.
"He's done amazingly for the club and hopefully he can play his best season ever for the club, stay important with his goals and assists and be clinical. He is a professional. We've been there, he's been there, so onto the next (game). And next season? I don't know."
Is there a case to sell Van Dijk?
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Much like Salah - who is enjoying arguably his best season at Liverpool well into his 30s - Van Dijk is ageing like a fine wine in the Reds' backline and is showing little to no signs of a physical decline.
There is no escaping the fact that Van Dijk is closer to the end of his career than the start of it, though, and the financial powerhouses of the Saudi Pro League are expected to make a concerted effort to bring him to the Middle East.
The centre-back is hardly earning pennies at Liverpool - a whopping £220,000 a week according to Capology - but Saudi Arabian clubs could blow any Reds contract offer out of the water.
Manchester City's Kevin De Bruyne - who is the same age as Van Dijk - has already admitted that he would find it hard to turn down a mammoth payday in the twilight of his career, understandable for any player with families and a future long after football to think about.
However, Van Dijk remains the marshal of a Liverpool team sweeping aside every foe in their wake this season, so unless he performs a January U-turn and decides that he will not be committing his future to Liverpool, the Reds should not give the slightest thought to a winter sale.
Ben Knapton
