Virgil van Dijk wants ‘very important’ Mohamed Salah to remain at Liverpool
The 33-year-old is due to join up with Egypt after marking his return to the squad an assist during the 2-0 win over Brighton on Saturday.
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk wants Mohamed Salah to stay at the club and will continue to speak to the forward after he departs for the Africa Cup of Nations.
The 33-year-old is due to join up with Egypt after marking his return to the squad with the assist for Hugo Ektike’s second goal in the 2-0 win over Brighton and could miss seven league matches if they reach the final.
But while he is away, the club will continue discussions with his representatives in an attempt to iron out issues which led to his explosive outburst last weekend when he suggested his immediate future may lie elsewhere after being a substitute for three successive matches.
Van Dijk spoke to his long-time team-mate after that and throughout the week after Salah was omitted from the Champions League trip to Inter Milan.
“I speak to him about everything. I told him I want him to stay,” said Van Dijk.
“I would love to have him around as he is one of the leaders, but the fact is he is going to AFCON. We will be in contact over the next days and weeks like we always are and let’s see.
“I wish him absolutely all the best – and (to) come back. Hopefully. I have no control over that.
“We hope he will be absolutely successful there and we all hope he will be coming back to be important for the rest of the season.
“But, on the other side of it, we all know football and have no idea what is going to happen.
“He is very important – and still (is) as you see with another assist – to the football club, but there are more parties to this situation.”
Liverpool ended a tumultuous week by extending their unbeaten run to five matches with a third win and back-to-back clean sheets.
Following on from the midweek victory in Milan, Van Dijk said it proved the dressing room had not been distracted by the Salah circus, although the captain has been keeping a close eye on things.
“The situation is just bringing so much noise. As a captain I have to deal with how the boys react to it and they reacted perfectly fine. Mo, in the end, reacted perfectly fine as well,” added the Dutchman.
“I hear, observe and that’s the most important thing. If you feel like it could be a problem within the squad and could affect performances then you have a different story, but we showed this week that we are absolutely united and we go forward as one.”
While he has been ‘managing’ the dressing room, Van Dijk has also proved an important ally to head coach Arne Slot, who appears to have ridden out the storm of nine defeats in 12 matches.
“There is a lot of noise, pressure from the outside world and rightly so as we’ve not been close to the standard we were showing last season,” he said.
“But personally looking at it, and from the conversations we have on a daily basis, I think he has handled it very well.
“This moment of time is a very good moment to see how everyone responds. I think the manager has done perfectly.”
