Virgil van Dijk made his future plans clear long before new AC Milan interest emerged

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Virgil van Dijk is due to leave Liverpool as a free agent at the end of June 2027 as things stand.Now in the final 12 months of his contract, a potential exit for Van Dijk has already been mooted this year, with interest emerging from Turkey.Meanwhile, Serie A outfit AC Milan are said to have joined the race for the Dutchman, but despite European teams wanting the centre-back, he has previously made it clear he sees his long-term future at Anfield. Jurgen Klopp has confirmed that he tried to sign Kylian Mbappe back in 2017… What if Liverpool had signed Kylian Mbappe Predicted XI Virgil van Dijk could stay at Liverpool and keep playing for several more yearsThe 35-year-old signed a new contract with Liverpool in April 2025 amid a spectacular title-winning campaign.After penning fresh terms, he said: “It [Liverpool] 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.

“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.”But while Van Dijk is under contract for just under 12 months, it seems like he could stick around on Merseyside for even longer. Is he even better than Maldini? 😱 Photo credit: Getty Images/Chris Brunskill/Fantasista Reports last year claimed the stopper has plans to elongate his career at Liverpool even further, and sees no reason why he can’t keep playing until he is 38/39 like Thiago Silva did at Chelsea.That would be a huge boost for the club, as their core leadership group has already been hit hard in recent years following the exits of big names like Jordan Henderson, Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson.At present, there are very few clear options who could step up and become senior figures in the dressing room.There is talk that Dominik Szoboszlai could be the new vice-captain, but it feels like Liverpool are in the midst of a rebuilding period and we are still waiting for the next generation of leaders to show themselves.Join Our NewsletterReceive a digest of our best Liverpool content each week direct to your mailbox